On The Turning Away
by devonshire64
Summary: Is the ground beneath us as firm as we think? When a peaceful summer turns deadly for the brothers the foundations on which they built their lives are shaken.... and nothing will ever be the same. weechesters, something lost series.
1. Chapter 1

_hello once again, everyone. after a lot of mentions, and a lost of questions if we'd ever see it, here is the story of the earth demon, first mentioned in the opening story 'something lost'. this story is part of my Something Lost Series which, for all those who don't know, is a series that adds in the Harrison family. enjoy, and as always, i own no part of supernatural, this is all just for fun. _

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 1

Twelve year old Sam Winchester laid out on the warm bricks of the old patio, the sun lulling him into a comforting daze. He loved summers in Valley. It was the only place he could ever be normal, the only time he ever felt like a real kid. He was amazed that his father had allowed he and Dean to stay through the end of the school year, especially when his hunt took him to the east coast. But Sam wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He'd been granted a few months in Wyoming— without his father or hunting— and to Sam, it was perfection.

Sam knew his older brother was enjoying the time off, too, even though Dean took every opportunity to bitch and moan about the fact that he'd been forced to watch his baby brother instead of going on the hunt. But then, Dean— at sixteen— had only recently started hunting with their father, and whatever John was after was a little too big league to bring Dean in on. So, the older boy was forced to stay behind with the women and children, and Kerri hadn't let him live that down for a moment.

Sam sighed, sleep pulling at him. These moments of peace were rare, even in Valley. It wasn't that Kerri's town was a happening place or a supernatural hot spot. No, it was just that four children always seemed to make a place hectic no matter how serene the environment that surrounded it. Add to it the fact that they didn't get to see each other too often and visits to the small mountain town were always a whirlwind.

"Dean's looking for you." A loud voice spoke, breaking through the once peaceful backyard.

Sam opened his eyes, searching for the source of the voice, knowing exactly who he'd find. Evelyn was standing beside him, the dark haired twelve year old looking at him, her pale eyes stern.

"Tell him I ran away."

"Very funny," Ev began, sitting beside Sam. "Just so you know, when he can't find you it automatically becomes my fault."

"That's not true."

"Then why's he always interrogating me?"

"'Cause you like to cause trouble."

"I shouldn't be punished for my quirks." Ev smirked, knowing full well what Sam meant.

Evelyn liked to stir things up, liked to cause trouble, it was just her way. Sam didn't knowing if it was her way of trying to be like her big sister or if Ev was just a natural trouble maker. Whatever it was, she kept life interesting. And it was just one more thing that set Evelyn apart from her sister. While Kerri attracted trouble no matter how far below the radar she tried to stay, Evelyn went out looking to cause mischief, and usually recruited Sam as her accomplice.

"Why's he looking for me?" Sam asked sitting up, though he already knew the answer.

"Just checking up. You know how he gets when John's not here."

"Don't remind me."

"At least he's got Kerri to distract him," Ev added, making Sam smile.

Evelyn Harrison was one of the best things about Valley. She was someone the young boy could talk to, someone who understood him. Sam loved Dean with all his heart, but all the hovering drove him crazy— and Ev was someone he could always vent to, whether in person or on the phone. However, while Sam always appreciated having someone to complain about siblings with, he knew there was much more between them than that. Evelyn's mother Elizabeth had died just like Mary, the nursery fire at the Harrisons' home having left Evelyn with a terrible scar— and that sealed a bond between the two twelve year olds that was stronger than anything else. They'd both been raised without any memory of a mother, and Sam clung to the lifeline that was Evelyn.

"I'm sure she's happy with you for that." Sam smiled, knowing Ev had abandoned Kerri when Dean started badgering her. Kerri may have only been two months younger than Dean, but that didn't stop him from pulling the seniority card on her. And Sam knew that, while the pair were happy to be with each other, they also drove each other crazy.

"Hey, I'm a survivalist. Though I think we're gonna have to change states to hide from 'mother hen Dean'," Evelyn groused.

"Why's that?" Dean was protective on a normal day, so Sam knew something big had to be going on to make him even more annoyingly attentive.

"Your dad was just on the phone. Apparently, the hunt's bigger than he thought."

"So he wants Tom to go?" Sam asked, trepidation growing in his voice— after all, he still remembered the last time Tom and John had left them alone.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Is that even a good idea, they were pretty pissed at each other before my dad left."

"Yeah well, they've been pissed at each other a lot lately."

"That is true."

Sam tried to tune out the fighting, choosing instead to stay as far away from his father and Tom as he could. They'd always fought, it was the nature of their being, but recently, it had seemed worse. They had completely different views on how to raise children, and Sam couldn't help but find Tom's approach appealing. John was preparing them for war, raising soldiers— Tom was preparing them for life, raising children.

"I'm telling you, John, I gotta go, I'll give you a call later." Tom Harrison's exasperated voice made Sam and Evelyn turn. The hunter was rushing down the back stairs, exiting the basement door a moment later, a briefcase in one hand, cordless phone in the other. The man didn't look like much of a hunter in his work clothes, but Sam knew he always kept his private life well hidden from the university. Tom was a professor, and a fairly well known one at that, he didn't need people questioning his sanity— or his ability to raise Kerri and Evelyn.

"Sam," Tom began again, stopping by the kids and tossing Sam the phone, "please tell your father your haven't bled to death and are still in possession of both arms and legs."

"Hey, Dad….. Nope, just missing a few fingers." Sam smirked, Tom sending him a reprimanding glare as he climbed into his firebird.

"Hey, Dad," Evelyn called after her father, "what's for dinner?"

"Ask Kerri." And with that Tom Harrison was gone, leaving nothing but a trail of dust in his wake.

"That's just great." Ev sighed, laying back against the patio.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm still here." Sam began, momentarily forgetting he was on the phone with his father. "Uh, yeah that's right, it's Tuesday, he has all night classes today………. It's fine, Dean and Kerri are still around………. No, I'm out back, they're inside somewhere….. But…… yes, Sir." Sam grumbled, switching off the phone.

"Another wonderful day in the lives of hunters." Evelyn breathed, Sam sighing in agreement before leaning back against the warm tiles.

The two remained there for a while, both too lost in their thoughts to speak, letting the warm summer sun relax them— they could worry about the rest of the world later. At that moment, they were just two kids, enjoying the early days of summer, ignoring the world like children should. And slowly, Sam could feel his anger building. They shouldn't have to be worried about what would happen next, shouldn't be concerned about the wide and dangerous world around them. They should be focused on their friends, thinking about sports or video games or the newest tv show— not where their next meal would come from or if their fathers would make it home alive.

When he was younger, Sam hadn't thought much about being the son of a hunter. It was a life he'd been born to, the only life he'd ever known, so there was never really much to think about. But as he grew, so did his understanding of the world around him, and once he started school everything had changed. It was only then that he found out just how different he was, and just what he was missing out on. And now the topic of Tom and John's most recent fight was weighing heavily on his heart.

As had been the case often lately, the two men were arguing about Dean, or more specifically, Dean's future. One fact that set the Harrisons apart from his own family was that Tom had a life outside hunting, something John didn't seem capable of. It was something that constantly caused friction, not because Tom looked down on John in any way, but because the senior Harrison wanted more of a future for both Sam and Dean. But John saw things differently, and like a good soldier, Dean followed along.

Instead of walking at graduation in two years, instead of spending his teen years in high school like he should have, Dean had done what his father ordered— he'd taken the GEDs as soon as he'd turned sixteen. Dean was smart, even though he went out of his way to get people to believe otherwise, and so it was no surprise to Sam that he passed the tests with flying colors. On a deep level, Sam knew why his father had insisted on Dean taking the GEDs instead of finishing high school. Now that his older brother was hunting, he needed more time, time that was being taken up by school.

But Dean liked school, Sam knew that for certain, and he knew a little bit of his older brother's soul had been lost when he was told he was no longer going to attend. Yes, they changed schools a lot, making them the perpetual new kids, but when in Valley, they were able to go to school with kids they'd known most of their lives— and now Dean was forced to miss out on that small bit of normal as well. And, the moment Sam learned of his father's plans, he swore it would never be him. Sam was going to make his own way, and that included attending school as long as he damn well pleased.

"What part of go get Sam for me was confusing?" Dean's stern voice broke through the twelve year olds' solitude, causing both to turn their eyes to the teenager, but still not rising from the patio.

"I believe you said, go find Sam, and I found him," Evelyn answered.

"You're pushing it, kid."

"That's just my way."

"What did you want?" Sam asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Nothing, I was just wondering where you were."

"You could have looked out a window."

"Or I could have gotten what I thought was a responsible person to get you." Dean began, eying Evelyn.

"Well that was your first mistake, no one ever said I was responsible."

"You know, you were a whole lot cuter when you were three." Dean smirked, pulling two wicker chairs together, sitting in one and using the other as a footrest.

"So they tell me. You don't by chance know what's for dinner, do you?" Evelyn asked, turning her head to face Dean.

"No, why? Where's Tom?"

"He left for his lectures."

"Oh yeah, Tuesday. He didn't make anything?"

"He told me to talk to Kerri about it."

"We could always head into town, get something there."

"He took the firebird," Evelyn answered dramatically, and Sam couldn't help but smirk. Evelyn always was one for dramatics.

"Your legs broken or something? Ride your bike."

"Dean, it's too hot."

"You're dad's been gone twenty minutes and you've already managed to drive me crazy, you know that."

"Well, I vote we go to town." Sam chimed in, earning a glare from Evelyn. Many, many decisions in the Harrisons' house needed tie breakers since, more often than not, the kids chose sides in pairs. It was normally Sam and Ev versus Dean and Kerri, but every so often it would change. But, without Tom or John around, the deciding vote was going to have to go to Kerri.

"Hey, Ker!" Dean shouted, and Sam was happy Kerri and Ev had no neighbors, since his brother's shout could have woken the dead.

"What?" Kerri shouted back, leaning out one of the second floor windows.

"You're in charge for dinner."

"Says who?"

"Your dad, he just left."

"Damn it. We got enough money in the kiddy for dinner?"

"Your dad refilled the supply, I saw him."

"You suck, Kerri." Evelyn shouted up at her sister, Sam and Dean both breaking out in laughter.

"I guess you're just gonna have to sweat, princess." Kerri called to her sister, a smirk on her face. "'Cause if I'm the tie-breaker, we're biking to dinner in town."


	2. Chapter 2

_hello everyone. thank you all so much for the great reviews :) i'm glad everyone's enjoying so far. happy holidays to all :) p.s.-- yes, the title of this story does come from one of my favorite songs, 'on the turning away' by pink floyd. _

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 2

Dean tuned out the whining behind him, choosing instead to listen to the birds and crickets around him— but that didn't seem to work. Evelyn's high pitched voice was grating on his nerves, and she didn't sound like she was gonna stop anytime soon. He knew the tactic all too well, and he refused to fall for it. Yes, it was a warm summer day, but Evelyn was twelve, she could handle the few mile bike ride into town. Dean glanced at the forest as they made their way down the trail. It would be much, much shorter to cut through the trees, but Dean swore long ago he'd never set foot in that forest again.

The memories were still so vidid that he found himself waking a night, a voice from the past still drifting to his ears. It was his imagination and nothing more, or at least, that's what he told himself. He had let his guard down all those years ago, and Kerri was the one to pay the price. He had been a year younger than Sam was now, still a child, and he'd been forced to fight a darkness that was determined to claim him. It was something he wasn't sure he could survive, and even now, he couldn't say that he had. He was still haunted and he was afraid he always would be.

And, ever since that day, he'd sworn to protect all those around him, refusing to let anything happen to the people he loved because of his own ineptitude. He had to be better if he was going to make it in this world, had to be stronger. It wasn't so much about what he wanted or needed, it was what was needed of him. It was why he'd taken the GEDs, why he'd followed his father into hunting— it was the only way he could keep his family safe, and he knew he could never let himself falter, no matter what it cost him.

A crashing from behind him made him stop, his bike skidding to a halt in the loose dirt. He turned around to find Evelyn falling to the ground dramatically, her bike laying on the ground a foot or two away. She hadn't fallen off, she'd bailed out.

"I'm done, just leave me where I fall." Evelyn sighed, throwing her arm up over her eyes.

"You know, you're laying in an ant farm." Kerri began, making her sister jump to her feet.

"That wasn't funny."

"Just get back on your bike, Ev, I'm hungry." Sam began, his voice taking on a whining quality as well.

"I can't, I feel like my legs are gonna fall off."

"God, Ev, you're twelve, suck it up. You could do this ride when you were little."

"I swear it was shorter back then."

"Chain your bike up, you can ride with me." Dean broke in. He learned long ago it was impossible to argue with Evelyn. While Kerri would give in— eventually— Ev had the amazing ability to outlast everyone, and Dean was too hungry to deal with it now. Evelyn chained up her bike as quickly as she could, smiling as she made her way over to Dean. The older boy just rolled his eyes at the brunette, knowing this had been her plan since they left the house. Hell, Dean couldn't even remember the last time she'd ridden the entire way to town by herself. No, more often than not, she ended up on Dean's handlebars.

They road the rest of the way into town like that, Dean not even slowing under the added weight of Evelyn. They'd become pros at that particular style of riding. Dean hadn't failed to notice that Evelyn had become very attached to him over the years, and lately, it had grown even stronger. It was rare if the young girl left his side. Mrs. Matthews would always joke that the younger girl had a crush on him, but Dean knew it was something more. Ever since the Watcher, Evelyn had been terrified of being left alone, and as she got older, that fear only seemed to intensify. She was just drawn to Dean, and the blonde never knew why.

He turned his attention back to the road, knowing they were coming upon the large hill at the end of town. The first time he'd gone down it he was seven years old, and to this day, he was still amazed. When he was younger, he assumed Kerri called it a big hill because, hell, everything was big when you were less than four feet tall. But he realized then that she hadn't been exaggerating. Valley was set in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and the Harrisons' house was further into the back country than the actual town— and their "big hill" was more like a small mountain.

He heard Evelyn gasp, the younger girl leaning back against him as he rode the breaks. The last thing he needed was to crash while riding Ev on the handlebars. He let his feet off the breaks as they rolled down the hill, the wind whipping past them as their speed increased. It was like riding a roller coaster. He leaned forward a little bit when Evelyn pressed back against him, supporting the younger girl as they raced down the hill, smiles on their faces. It was one of the rare moments in time when Dean could be a kid.

Being normal was a rare thing in Dean Winchester's life— hell his life couldn't be further off the normal map. He was a hunter, it had been made official a year before hand, and that brought on a whole new set of responsibilities— which meant leaving normal even further behind. Dean sighed as the bike began to slow, the summer wind warming him as he rode— he was going to have to leave a lot behind. He'd wanted to finish high school, had planned on coming back to Valley so he and Kerri could walk together, but that was never going to happen. John Winchester had made up his mind, and Dean knew it was final.

But then, his father needed back up, needed someone to watch his six, and Dean knew he was the man for the job. Whenever his father went off to hunt without him, Dean's fears always came back tenfold. What if Dad wasn't quick enough? What if a spirit got the drop on him? What if he never came home? It was a real worry and while Dean knew he was ready to take on hunting, he wasn't ready to lead his family. That was his Dad's job and it was a job Dean prayed he'd never have to take. John Winchester had big shoes to fill.

"Dean Matthew Winchester!"

Dean slammed on the breaks when he heard his name shouted from across the street. The second he stopped Ev jumped off the handlebars innocently. Dean just rolled his eyes, leave it to Ev to pretending nothing had happened after being caught red-handed.

"Mrs. Matthews—."

"How many times now, Dean?" Mrs. Matthews began, striding to the pair, her hands on her hips.

Anna Matthews owned a local store on the edge of the town, and it was the closest thing to the Harrison's house, well, besides Sadie Miller's hell hole that is. The sixteen year old could still remember the first time he'd been to Anna's store. Kerri had talked about the place like it was heaven on earth and, at the tender age of seven, Dean had agreed one hundred percent. Mrs. Matthews let them wander around the store unimpeded, let them be free while still keeping a watchful eye— it was something Dean wasn't used to at the time. Back then he was the only person who watched over Sammy, end of story, but Anna Matthews relieved him of that duty over the many years he'd known her and her children.

Valley was Dean's favorite place in the world— but it wasn't perfect. For starters, his mother wasn't there, and as long as his Mom was absent, no place would be perfect. Dean could still remember everything about his mother, the sound of her voice, the way she sang, the way she smelled— everything. But he knew not to dwell on the things he couldn't have, because in the end the guilt would do nothing but eat you alive.

Besides the absence of both his mother and Kerri's there was one other glaring defect in the town of Valley— Sadie Miller and her very large extended family. Hell, two thirds of the town were related to the bitch. Dean knew he was supposed to be respectful of his elders and all that crap, but Sadie deserved his spite, that much he knew for certain. Kerri was different, even from Dean, and he knew nothing in the world would ever change that. Tom had told him what happen to Kerri as a child, had told him about the meningitis and blindness— and about the whispers Sadie and her kin had spread. But Anna and her family threw those stupid rumors aside from day one, and that made them one of the few allies he and Kerri had in the small town.

"I lost count." Dean answered sheepishly, his cocky grin dying before it even started.

Anna had taken on the role of 'mom' as much as she dared to the four of them, her own children, Keith and Stacy, being close in age as well. And while Dean knew no one would ever replace his mother, he enjoyed the attention none the less. Anna had been friends with Kerri's mom when they were kids, and after Elizabeth's death in a fire, Anna had taken on Kerri as her own— even if it was behind Tom's back. Dean had to laugh, apparently every adult in Valley had a different view of how to raise children. But then, it did supposedly take a village to raise a child.

Anna rolled her eyes at the response, stopping a few feet in front of him. Dean felt Evelyn grip the back of his arm as she hid behind him, and he knew she was smiling. "Do you want me to go over the statistics of how dangerous what you just did was— again?"

"Not really, Ma'am."

"One," Anna began, not fazed by Dean's answer. "neither of you is wearing a helmet. Two, handlebars are not meant for people, and three you just rode down a twenty-two foot hill in the middle of the street. What if you'd fallen, a car wouldn't have been able to stop in time."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Matthews, I won't do it again."

"You know you've said that same line to me fourteen times, not that I'm counting." Anna smirked, finally standing down. "It really is dangerous, Dean."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have put Ev at risk like that."

"I'm worried about you, too. I don't want you in harm's way, either."

Dean almost had to laugh, if only she knew how much danger he saw on a daily basis.

"As for you, little miss," Anna continued, pointing at Evelyn, "I know it's as much your fault as his. I can see right through that cute little girl facade."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Matthews."

Seemingly satisfied with their answers Anna turned back toward her store, smiling at Kerri and Sam as she passed. She turned back before entering the small building. "No candy before your dinner, so you better keep on going, I'll ring Jeff and let him know you're on your way." With that, she closed the screen door and disappeared into her shop.

"Busted." Sam smiled, walking up to the pair— Dean knew his little brother and Kerri had kept their distance on purpose.

"Thanks for the back-up." Dean smirked, walking his bike down the side of the street.

"Hey, some life lessons are tough, Winchester." Kerri groused, "Who am I to stand in the middle of a learning experience."

Dean just shook his head, picking up the pace a little— he was starving. Jeff Laurals was Anna Matthews' brother, and apart from being one of the coolest guys on earth, he also ran a local tavern. He let the kids in during the day to practice their pool games, but once ten p.m rolled around, Dean was always shown the door— something that didn't make John all that happy. Sure Dean could pass for twenty-one, at least at places that didn't really care, but everyone in Valley knew he was just sixteen, which made lying all but pointless.

The tavern was dark and cool, just the way a good bar should be. The four found a booth near the back of the almost empty bar, Dean taking the seat against the wall, facing the door. Kerri sat across from him leaving Evelyn and Sam to man the inner seats. It was the same seating arrangement they always had no matter where they went. Dean watched for trouble, and if it arose, Kerri was in place to act as his back-up.

Even though John and Tom had very, very different views on how to raise their kids, there was one thing they always agreed on— Dean was in charge, and Kerri was his right hand man, or girl as the case may be. John spent hours training both Dean and Sam, shaping them into soldiers, and Dean passed on what he knew to Kerri. Her father never openly approved of training her, but he never stopped Dean either, and while Kerri wasn't gonna run out and kill a demon, she could help keep Sam and Evelyn safe.

"So," a man in his thirties swung a chair up to the end of the booth, sitting quickly before resting his elbows on the table. "Mama Anna laid the smack down."

"Dude, your sister's got eagle eyes. I swear she just sits at the door and waits for me to come down the hill." Dean grumbled, punching Sam in the arm when he started to snicker.

"That's alright, Winchester, we all know it was Ev's doing." Jeff smirked, dropping a key in the middle of the table.

"Hey, I'm an angel, just ask everyone else." Evelyn defended.

"That's cause you've got them all tricked with your cute kid brain waves."

"I gotta work with what I got."

"I'd be nice to her, Sam." Jeff began, pushing up from the seat.

"Why?" Sam asked, looking up form a book.

"Cause she's gonna rule the world someday. Pool table's yours, Dean." Jeff motioned to the key of the table. "You guys know what you want?"

"Any specials?" Kerri began. Dean leaned back, trying to hide a laugh with a cough, but Jeff just glared at him.

"One day I'm gonna have grey hairs, Kerri, and you and your posse will be to blame. As long as you've been alive, I've never had a special."

"Can I have a corned beef sandwich, please."

"Sure thing." Jeff smiled, taking the rest of their order before turning back to the bar.

Jeff was like another kid, a thirty four year old kid but a kid just the same. "So," Sam began a moment later, making sure Jeff was back beyond the bar, "Tom's leaving?"

"Maybe," Dean answered, knowing what his brother was getting at, things didn't go well when they were left alone. First their was the Striga, then the Watcher, and then the Black Dog two years before hand— nope, they didn't have the best track record. But they were older now, Dean was sixteen and officially a hunter, he could handle things now.

"Why can't we all go there with them?"

"Because it would be easier if we all stayed here."

"Easier for who, Dad?" Sam asked, his voice cutting.

Dean just shut his eyes, praying for patients. Gone were the days of the cute, inquisitive little Sammy he'd raised. No, now there was moody and broody Sammy and it was taking a toll on Dean's already frayed nerves. Sam's new hobby seemed to be 'find as many faults with Dad as possible' and then annoyingly point out each and every one.

"Sam."

"No, Dean, I'm tired of Dad making all the orders. Last time he left you and me alone you found that info on the Black Dog, remember how that turned out?"

"Yeah, Sam, I remember." Hell, he'd have the scars from it for the rest of his life. Their dad thought he was after a chuppacabre, simple in and out case. But John had missed one witness, and that proved all the difference. Dean knew the danger his father was facing and tried to help— earning himself a few more scars and a lot of yelling for his trouble.

"And then there was the Watcher."

"Sam, can we please not bring that up." Evelyn's quiet voice broke into the conversation, the younger girl leaning into Dean at the mention of the spirit. That summer still gave the little girl nightmares, even five years later.

Evelyn's quiet words seemed to do the trick, and Dean could see Sam's anger visibly deflating. Sam wanted a normal life, Dean knew that, and it hurt the older man to know it was the one thing he'd never be able to give his little brother. Dean could protect him, could keep him safe, could be his brother— but he couldn't give Sammy the one thing he really needed, a normal life.

"Did they say how long they were gonna be gone?" Kerri asked, watching a Jeff came back over from the bar with a pitcher of soda.

"Nope, I know about as much as you." Dean added quickly before Jeff walked up.

"So," Jeff began, taking his seat again at the end of the table. "Where're your dads?"

"Did Anna tell you to ask us that?" Dean smirked when Jeff's face visibly reddened.

"That's Mrs. Matthews to you, and yes, she told me."

"Dude, you're thirty-four."

"That may be true, but it still doesn't change the fact that she's older."

"Which means she runs the show." Sam sulked, pulling his soda toward him.

"Better to learn the ropes early, Sam. So, your dads?"

"Lectures." Kerri answered, "every Tuesday. And John's away on business."

"Sales stuff again?"

Dean nodded. The residents of Valley all believed John was some kind of traveling salesman, an idea Dean couldn't help but laugh about. He just couldn't picture his father walking up to the door to sell someone a vacuum. But it was a story that worked, and that was all the middle Winchester needed.

"Well when he comes back tell him to swing by, I've got two hundred dollars I gotta win back."

Dean smirked, happy that John and Jeff had managed to hit it off. It was hard to be the perpetual new kid, a label that followed him all his life, even in Valley. The Harrisons and his family were outsiders in the town, only a few allies like the Matthews family ever gave them the time of day— but that was fine with Dean. The less people nosing in on their business the better. But still, Jeff was a nice alternative for his often brooding father. Tom and John argued, a lot, even though they still considered each other friends— but Jeff was someone John could beat at pool, drink a few beers with, and leave the world of hunting behind. Even if it was just for a few hours.

"I'd give up that crusade, Jeff, unless you wanna owe the guy your first born child."

"With two trouble makers already, I doubt he'd take the offer." Jeff pushed off the seat, returning to the bar when a few men entered the building.

Dean studied the newcomers, wishing he was suddenly invisible— it was Mark and Walter Miller, Sadie's sons. They were idiots, plain and simple, but they were also fellow residents of Valley, and when out in public Dean knew not to make a scene. The two men glanced at the table before ordering their drinks, snickering to each other as they glanced at the teens.

"Hey, Dean." Evelyn's spoke up, noticing the men at the bar but obviously not caring. "Wanna play a game?"

"Ev, the last three times we played I ran the table."

"Yeah, that means I'm due."

"Alright," Dean began, rising from the booth, "four sweeps is fine by me. You two coming?"

"Watching you beat everyone mercilessly isn't really my idea of fun." Sam answered back, not looking up from a book he'd brought with him.

"You're just upset cause you can't beat me either."

"You could at least throw a game every now and then, Dean."

"If I do that, how would you learn?"

"I learned never to play pool with you, I guess that's something."

"Feed him something before I kick his ass." Dean began, knowing Sam got moody when he didn't eat. "Keep an eye on him."

He heard Sam huff when Kerri nodded, "you know I'm sitting right here."

Dean took a deep breath, trying to calm his growing annoyance as he made his way over to the pool table. At least Evelyn was still a cute little kid, Sam on the other hand had turned into a hormonal mess. He really, really hoped his Dad and Tom wouldn't be gone long, cause Dean wasn't sure Sam would be in one piece if they were left alone for too long.


	3. Chapter 3

_hello everyone, i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. thank you all once again for the great reviews, enjoy :)_

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 3

Sam sat in the booth, lost in the book Tom Harrison had given him. It was a history of the Native American tribes that had once inhabited North America. He liked the books Tom gave him, and he loved hearing about what the hunter taught in his myths and legends classes. He'd even had the opportunity to sit in on a few lectures and it was at that moment Sam realized how cool school could be. Until then, he'd hated school. He liked his teachers and love seeing the world outside hunting, but the other kids often made the days miserable.

Sam was small for his age, and being the constant 'new kid' made him stick out even more. Add to it the fact that when in Valley he was associated with Dean and Kerri and Sam knew even at his home school he'd always be a freak. He loved his brother, he really did, but it wasn't easy being Dean Winchester's little brother. It wasn't that his brother cast a long shadow, it was that he cast a long shadow of trouble. Sam wanted to fade into the background, to make a few friends and go about his daily business under the radar. Dean, apparently, chose to live his life to the complete opposite. He stood out like a sore thumb, and never, ever left Sam alone.

Knowing Kerri wasn't much better. She was the town weirdo, the one they gossiped about, and while Sam knew it wasn't her fault, being friends with her still put him out in the open. Sadie Miller seemed to have a personal crusade going against the redhead and Sam was drawn into the fight, whether her wanted to be or not. Sam wanted to be normal, every cell in his body cried out for it, but no matter what he did he couldn't make that dream a reality. He was the brother of the town 'bad boy' and the best friend of the town 'weirdo' and that only seemed to seal the twelve year old's fate.

Sam pushed the thoughts from his mind, choosing instead to focus on his book. If he thought about his circumstances he grew angry, and when he was angry Dean seemed to hover more, thinking something was wrong— which only compounded the problem. He just wished his family could see how upset he was, how much he hated hunting. But no, what John Winchester said was gold and god forbid Dean stand up to him. Sam knew for a fact Dean didn't want to quit high school, that he wanted a normal life just as much as Sam. Well, maybe not a normal, normal life, but Dean did want to spend more time in Valley, that much Sam new for certain.

When they were kids it was a fun place to visit, but over the years it had become 'home' and as time passed Sam could see Dean's need for home grow more and more. The blonde tried to push it off, to pretend he was completely devoid of feelings or opinions, but Sam knew him better than anyone, and he could see his brother longed for that small mountain town when they were away. And Sam thought he knew why. Dean wasn't the most social of people— hell even that statement was an understatement. He didn't get attached to people, didn't let people in, because both Sam and Dean knew they'd never see most people again. But Kerri was different— they would always come back to Valley.

Sam's eyes drifted over to the pool table despite himself. He was trying to keep his mind as far away from reality as possible, but Evelyn's laugh shattered his resolve. It was hard to hate his life when there were moments like these— fun times. But those times were growing further and further apart as his father stepped up his game. And now that Dean was hunting, John had even fewer reasons to seek out Tom Harrison's help— or any hunter's help for that matter. His Dad wanted their family to be completely self sufficient, to rely on no one but themselves, and Sam knew that was impossible. They were human, and human beings needed the comfort of others, needed a community, not a small and battered family.

"You ok, Sam?" Kerri asked, her voice making Sam jump— he'd almost forgotten she was sitting next to him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been quiet this visit, that's all."

"I've got a lot on my mind." Sam sighed, turning back to his book, though he wasn't really reading it.

"Care to share?"

"Aren't you pissed, Kerri?" Sam blurted out. He needed to talk about this with someone or he was going to explode.

"Pissed at what?"

"My dad, what he's doing to Dean?"

"Oh." Kerri seemed to deflate a little, knowing they were going into uncharted territory. "Sam, that's Dean's choice."

"No it isn't, it's my dad's choice, he's just forcing Dean to accept it."

"Sam—."

"What? Why can't you stop it?" Sam looked at Kerri imploringly, knowing she was the only person who could really get through to Dean. Sam needed her to step in and help him, to pull Dean back from the brink. Sam needed someone to make everything alright.

"Like I said, it's Dean's decision. I promised him a long time ago I wasn't gonna step in his way."

"What if he was gonna throw himself off a bridge? Or shoot himself?"

"That's different."

"How is that different?" Sam snapped back, lowering his voice when Dean looked up. But apparently, his older brother believed Kerri could handle the current crisis alone. They did that a lot, communicating to each other with silent signals more than words, and it both mesmerized and annoyed Sam. If something was about him, he deserved to know all the details.

"He's not trying to kill himself for one thing."

"He's not? So you're telling me you don't remember the black dog? Or the Watcher? Hunting is like throwing yourself in front of a train, Kerri. I mean, you've seen how many times our dads have come home bleeding. Do you really want that for Dean?"

Sam knew what buttons to push when it came to Kerri. She cared for Dean a great deal, more than most people in his older brother's life, but part of her caring was letting him be himself, letting him follow his own path. Normally Sam was fine with that, but when said path turned dangerous or led to an ultimate dead end, the youngest Winchester felt the urge to step in.

Sam's growing pride at getting under Kerri's defenses immediately dissipated when the older girl took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly before speaking. "Sam, I'm not gonna be able to tell you what you wanna hear. You might not understand this now, but Dean has a lot of decisions to make, and it's easier for him if we stand behind his choices."

"How is it easier for him? You're helping him throw his life away."

"No, Sam, I'm not. I'm helping him deal with the life he's got." Kerri answered back quickly, her voice terse. It wasn't often Kerri was pushed to anger.

But Sam didn't care, "and you don't want him to have a different life? A better life? Is that it?"

"You don't understand, Sam, and you apparently never will. There is no different life for us, no way out. We're the children of hunters, Dean's a hunter, there's no turning back from that. No forgetting."

"I don't believe that."

"You will someday. Don't push Dean, Sam, this is hard enough for him as it is."

"Yeah right. He's the perfect son, nothing in his life is hard. I mean, he doesn't make up his own mind, ever. It's whatever Dad says, whatever Dad wants. You think you're helping him find his own way but you're not, you're enabling my father and his stupid crusade."

Evelyn and Dean chose that moment to come back over to the table. The little girl slid into the booth before Dean, huffing and grumbling about Dean not playing fair. And Sam could relate. Even when Dean intentionally tried to 'throw' a game, he still ended up winning.

"You're getting better, Kid." Dean began, ruffling Evelyn' hair in an attempt to get her out of her current mood.

"Dean, you lined up four different shots for me and I missed them all."

"At least you noticed I was lining them up on purpose. It's not always about making the shot, you have to know what your opponent's thinking, too."

"I still lost."

"That's because I'm awesome," Dean smirked. "It's hard to compete with pure awesomeness."

"Whatever." Evelyn finally smiled, punching Dean in the arm as the food arrived.

The four sat in silence for several long minutes, each enjoying their meal— well, trying to at least. While Dean had succeeded in cheering up a momentarily down Evelyn, Kerri was another story. She just picked her her food, pushing it from one side of the plate to another. Sam was starting to feel bad for what he'd said to Kerri, what he'd accused her of, but he needed someone on his side, someone he knew could get through to his brother. And at that moment, the only person fitting the bill was Kerri.

Dean reached across the table, taking a few fries from Kerri's plate as he ate his dinner. When he managed to sneak a few more without her stabbing him with a fork Dean's brow furrowed. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just not all that hungry I guess." Kerri answered half heartedly, pushing her plate away. "I think I'm gonna head outside for some air." Kerri abruptly pushed away from the table, moving to the door before anyone had a chance to say anything.

"What did you say to her?" Dean asked, turning his attention to Sam.

"What makes you think I said something?" Sam defended, though he knew Dean already had his number.

"Because she was fine before I went to play pool and after a few minutes with you she turned into mood central."

"So."

"Sam."

"She's not helping you, Dean." Sam spat out, throwing a fry at his own plate. He was tired of everyone acting like nothing was wrong. "You're dropping out of school, Dean, and she's not doing anything to help stop it."

"One," Dean began, lowering his voice when the Miller men at the bar turned toward them. "I am not dropping out, I passed the tests and so officially, I finished. And two, it's not Kerri's place to step in, and she knows that."

"She's supposed to be your friend."

"She is, Sammy. This isn't easy for her either, you know. But last I checked, this was my life."

"You tell that to Dad recently?"

"You're really pushing your luck, you know that, Sam." Dean answered angrily, pushing himself up from the seat. He threw a couple dollars on the table before motioning both Sam and Evelyn out of the booth.

"I'm not done." Evelyn tried to protest, but one look from Dean had her obeying the order.

"You two head over to Anna's store, I'm gonna go get Kerri."

"We're old enough to walk ourselves home, Dean." Sam answered back dejectedly, following his brother out the door.

"Nowhere else, Sam, do you understand me." Dean cut in front of him, staring him down with such ferocity that Sam had to obey the order.

"Yes, Dean."

"Smooth, Sam." Evelyn spoke up when Dean left, turning toward the candy shop at the end of the street.

"I didn't do anything wrong, Ev."

"I didn't say you did, but you need to change your tactics."

"Kerri's the only person that can get through to him and you know it."

"Yeah, but she's not gonna go against what he wants, there in lies the problem."

"I feel like we're losing, Evelyn. I mean, if my dad can get away with pulling Dean out of school what's he gonna do next?"

"We'll figure out a way to fix it, Sam."

"He's gonna take us away, Evelyn, I can feel it." It was a fear that had been eating at Sam since Tom and John's last fight. Now that Dean was out of school he had more time, for both hunting and looking after Sam. They didn't need Valley anymore. It had happened with Bobby only a few months before hand, and now Sam could feel a rift growing between Tom and John. His father was getting more and more obsessive with each passing year, and now he was taking Dean along with him.

Both Bobby and Tom had tried to talk John out of his suicidal crusade many times over the years. It was like talking to a brick wall, Sam knew that, but he still appreciated their efforts. But recently, the older hunters' 'talks' had taken on a much more dangerous quality— one that was creating chasms in once strong relationships. Bobby had said it bluntly but right 'if John wanted to throw himself off a cliff, that was his business, but there was no way he was talking his boys over the edge with him.'

Unfortunately, John didn't share those views. His boys would be hunters like him, would find and kill the thing that took his wife— no questions asked.

"He'd never do that, Sam." Evelyn answered back quickly, shaking her head as her eyes grew. "He wouldn't take you away from here."

If Sam didn't know any better he'd say there was real fear in the older girl's eyes. While the possibility of their departure angered Sam, it downright terrified Evelyn. Sam decided it was better to drop the subject. "You think Keith's got the new video game hooked up?"

"Why're you asking, ready to get you butt kicked." Evelyn smirked, picking up the pace as they made their way to Anna's store.

"Why do you always think you're gonna kick me and Dean's ass at something?"

"Because one of these days, Sam, I'm gonna find something I'm better at than you guys."

"Keep dreaming, Ev."

"It might not be now but trust me, even it if happens when we're sixty and playing shuffleboard, I will one day beat you at something."

Sam just smiled at the other brunette— they'd still be arguing about who was better at what when they were eighty.


	4. Chapter 4

_tuesday again :) thank you all so much for the great review, enjoy :)_

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 4

Kerri sat in the tall grass, her back resting against an old oak tree. Sam's words kept running through her mind, but for some reason the sixteen year old couldn't stop the memory of what Sam had said. She wanted to help Dean, more than anything in the world, but she knew she couldn't step in his way. She was his friend, and she knew how hard others made his life. Dean was everyone's rock, the one everyone turned to when times were hard, or when they needed to vent. Any problem— Dean handled it. When Sam was sick or hurt, Dean was the one he turned to. When something scared Evelyn, Dean was the only one who could calm her. When John was hurt or falling, Dean was the one he relied on to help lift him up. It was just who Dean was, the way he was. He was selfless to a fault, and Kerri knew she couldn't add anymore weight to his shoulders. Sam might not understand it, but standing by Dean's decision was the only way she could help him.

She sighed, her gaze drifting out over the bluff she was sitting on, the ground sloping away to reveal the plains beyond. Suddenly, her world felt very small. She wasn't the kind of person who looked deep into the future, who planned her life long before lived. But she still hoped for things, prayed for things. Everything in life could be taken away, stolen at a moment's notice, Kerri knew that, and so John's recent decision terrified her more than anyone knew. The Winchesters had grown past Valley as far as hunting was concerned. John had more contacts than he needed, and now he had Dean as back up— Kerri knew there were few reasons for the trio to return.

Over the past few years they'd used school as their basic leverage, since John didn't see any problem in leaving young children home alone. It was a lame excuse and Kerri was certain John followed along because he knew what it meant to his boys, but it still kept them coming back a few times each year. But now Sam and Dean weren't 'boys' anymore, at least not in John's eyes— they had grown, and the times for childish indulgences were apparently over.

She'd overhead John and her father talking before he'd left, and the conversation wasn't good. She was laying at the top of the steps like she always had, listening to the stories hunters told after a few beers, always mindful of Evelyn and Sam sleeping just a few doors behind her perch. When they were children Dean often sat beside her, engrossed in the stories. But now, more often than not, he was at the table telling them. She tried not to be afraid when she heard him talk about his encounters, tried to tell herself it was what made Dean happy— what he wanted— but she couldn't help but miss the boy that used to sit beside her.

It was something Kerri was going to have to learn to accept, something she'd been dreading for ages— one day they were going to have to grow up. Kerri wasn't naive like Evelyn, she knew life changed as time marched on, knew that what we dream of a future is rarely what comes to pass. The redhead had learned long ago not to dream. Dreams didn't come true, they just tortured you with what could have been and what will never be. In a perfect world, in a world of her dreams, there would be no hunting, no death. They would have their mothers and Dean and Sam would live down the street, and they'd all be happy. Yes it was an impossible world since hunting and death was what brought Dean to her in the first place, but that didn't change it from being her dream. She couldn't picture a life without Dean but she knew that someday, she might have to.

"Hey, you alright?"

Kerri looked up to see Dean standing beside her, picking his way down the overgrown path. She knew he would find her there. She often chose that same secluded location when she wanted to paint and her house was a little too crazy. It wasn't far off the main road, maybe a couple hundred yards or so, but the tall grass the large trees made it an ideal hiding place. She leaned back against the tree, staring out over the plains as her friend sat beside her.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Fine like running out on dinner fine?"

"Dean, just let it go."

"You've been asking me to do that a lot lately. Is this about me again?"

Kerri looked up at Dean, it was no secret people were fighting about him and his future. For his part Dean took it in stride, but Kerri knew it was eating him up inside. Dean didn't want people to be in pain, didn't want them in distress, angry, afraid. And knowing he was the root of everyone's current state of unrest weighted heavily on the other teen's heart. Her silence seemed to be all the assurance he needed.

"Look, Ker, I didn't wanna drag you into the middle of this."

"It's not your fault, Dean, the middle just seems to be my permanent lot in life."

"There's worse places to be."

"Yeah, I guess."

"What did Sam say?"

"Nothing others haven't already said. He wants me to talk you out of it."

"Come on, Kerri, you wouldn't go storming off just cause Sam was annoying you. Please tell me what's going on."

"You had to use the 'p' word."

Dean just smiled, nudging Kerri as they sat in the warm summer silence.

"He doesn't think I care about you. He said I'm just enabling John and his crusade because I refuse to help you."

Dean sat silent and Kerri knew what the blonde was thinking. And she knew it wasn't what she needed to hear. "That's just Sammy blowing off steam."

"It's more than that, Dean, he's not little Sam anymore."

"He's still a kid, he just doesn't understand yet."

Kerri let out a long breath, closing her eyes as she tried to collect herself— maybe she had let Dean go for too long. "He understands more than you think."

"I've got it under control, Kerri."

"I don't think you do, Dean."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that we're changing, getting older, and stuff's not as black and white as it used to be."

"Our lives were never black and white." Dean answered cuttingly.

"Yes they were, Dean. I love my dad, I really do, but him and John aren't the men they were when we were kids."

"How have they changed?"

"They themselves haven't, but the way we look at them has."

"They're heros. My dad is a hero."

"I didn't say they weren't."

"Then what are you saying?"

"That 'I'm fine' and 'it'll get better' aren't gonna fix the problem anymore."

"And finishing high school will?"

"This isn't about that, not entirely."

"Then what is it about?"

"The future. Sam and Evelyn's future. John wants the same thing for Sam and I'm telling you this now, Dean, he's not gonna follow along with the order."

Dean sighed, resting his chin on one of his bent knees. "I know. Hell, he doesn't follow orders now."

"He'll listen to you, Dean, but he's not gonna go along with everything like it's a-ok."

"Like me?" Dean shot back.

"Like you pretend to." Kerri knew Dean, and she knew him well. Deep down, Dean wasn't the robot soldier he pretended to be. No, deep down he was one of the most remarkable people she knew. He had the unfathomable ability to care. Everyone, everywhere, whether he knew them for life or an hour, gained his protection, fell under his wing. It was something Kerri didn't see in other people. Others tried to help, tried to care for all those who needed it, but more often than not they became bogged down in the overwhelming crisis of fear. But not Dean Winchester. He could push aside fear, push aside failure and focus on healing, on protecting. The only problem was that most of the time the fears he pushed aside were his own, and they often came back to the surface with killer force.

"I can fix it, Kerri."

"You shouldn't have to. That's what I'm trying to tell you. This shouldn't all be on your shoulders."

"What do you want me to do, then?"

"Stay here."

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere."

"Not for a few months. Stay." Kerri looked him deep in the eyes, trying to convey the sincerity of her claim. She wanted him to stay, not for an hour, not for a day, but forever. It was time Dean had a home.

"You know I can't."

"Why not?"

"Cause my dad needs me, Sammy needs me."

"Sam can stay, too."

"I have to do what's best for my family, I have to stay with them."

"Yeah, ok." Kerri whispered, turning her gaze back to the fields. She could feel him slipping away, even as he sat by her side.

"Hey, Ker." Dean began after a moment, rubbing his hands on his jeans. "You didn't tell my dad that, did you?"

"Tell him what?"

"That you wanted me to stay."

"No, I haven't told anyone but you."

"Good, good. Lets leave it that way."

"Why?"

"My dad's been on a high horse lately, and Tom going against him at every turn isn't really helping. If he thinks your all trying to talk me into to staying here—."

"You don't think?"

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Your dad would never take you away from here permanently." It was something Kerri really hadn't thought about, but something completely unacceptable.

"I wouldn't be so sure. We only came this summer cause Sam wouldn't stop begging him about it."

"God, Dean, how did this happen?" Kerri moaned, resting her face in her hands. It was supposed to be a good summer, a fun summer. But now, now she was facing the reality of losing everything she knew.

She wasn't naive, she knew she'd placed too much on her friendship with Dean. Yeah she knew other people around town, but she only had one real friend, and that was Dean. Without him, it would just be her and Evelyn.

Kerri felt Dean's hand on the back of her neck and resisted the urge to shrug it away. She should be focusing on him, helping him, not the other way around. "Maybe I'm just reading too much into everything." Dean began after a few minutes.

"You know your dad better than I do."

"He'll calm down, just— don't bring up the staying thing."

"Alright."

"You know, if I could I would."

"I shouldn't have even asked."

"No, Ker, it means a lot to me that you did." Dean smiled at her before looking back out over the bluff.

Kerri looked over to Dean, taking in the teen sitting beside her. She'd known him for ten years, but to Kerri, it felt like a lifetime. She could see in him great potential, a great future, if everyone else stopped meddling with it. Everyone— Tom, Sam, Evelyn and John— they all wanted Dean to be something other than what he was-- they wanted him to be what they needed. But Kerri didn't see him as clay to be molded, he wasn't someone who's life could be shaped to her own desired outcome. He was just Dean, and to the redhead it was all he ever needed to be. He needed someone to help guide him down the rocky and dangerous road she knew he'd travel, and Kerri took on that role with passion. She would stand beside him, allow him to be himself, because she knew when all was said and done, it was the only thing she could do for him.

The pair sat in silence for a few more minutes, both taking solace in their friend's presence. Life was fleeting, Kerri knew that, and she relished these quiet moments all the more because of it. She was broken from her peaceful haze by the sound of footsteps in the grass behind them. "Someone's coming."

"Probably Sammy and Ev, those two never listen to me." Dean began, turning to face the direction of the street, but he couldn't see anyone.

"No, it's someone grown."

Kerri had always been able to tell a person by the way they walked. It was something she'd been doing since she was a small child, even before her mother died. Dean had asked her countless times how she did it, but she could never really explain it. It wasn't like she was tracking someone, wasn't figuring out if a would be attacker was large or small. No, she could see into a person by the way they walked, and she was at a loss to explain why.

"Well, well, well." A voice broke through the heavy air around them, "What have we here."

Kerri just closed her eyes, wishing life could be peaceful for just a few minutes. But the moment the two older men walked into the Tavern, she should have known there was going to be trouble. Mark and Walter Miller had it out for Dean— hell they had it out for everyone. They were walking reminders of the one glaring problem Valley had, the fact that it was run by the Miller family. Valley was small, a village more than a town, and remote. There weren't many to chose between when it came time to name a mayor or police or anything, and the Millers had been one of the original families to settle the town. Yes there were others there, but the Millers cast a long and ugly shadow.

"Why don't you two just keep walking." Dean stated, standing slowly while blocking Kerri from the pair.

"Big words for a kid." Walter stepped up, his eyes sliding between Kerri and Dean.

Kerri knew they'd be around for them sooner or later, hell she was positive the two oafs had been following her and Dean for the last few days. What they'd done had been stupid, but no one ever said she and Dean were known for making great decisions. Jeff had been gracious enough let Dean play pool for free during the day, but rules were rules and at the stroke of ten p.m Dean was always thrown out. John had been getting exceedingly upset about it, mainly because he knew Dean could play pool better than almost anyone. But Jeff ran a clean place, no hustling and no underage patrons allowed.

However, the bar on the main road out to Cody, that was another story. Yes, they were both only sixteen, but either their were awesome, or the bar didn't care— and Kerri was pretty sure it was the latter. They'd been out driving the Impala, John having given it to Dean for his birthday, when they'd first found the backwoods bar. The cliental was a mixture of bikers and truckers and Dean had insisted Kerri say in the car when he went in— an order she obeyed for about thirty seconds. They'd left a few hours later with a couple hundred extra dollars and a very pissed off set of drunken brothers on their tale. And thinking back now it was also the current reason why Dean was without a car. Apparently, for all his moaning and groaning about Jeff kicking Dean out, John hadn't been all that overjoyed with the teens' little side trip. She still thought it was a bit hypocritical— they hadn't been drinking, they were simply playing pool.

"I don't believe 'kid' was the word you used to describe me when I was wiping the pool table with you." Dean smirked, straightening to his full hight. He was tall for sixteen, though Kerri knew he'd probably grow a few more inches, but he was solid, and a well trained fighter on top of it. Fighting was wrong, Kerri knew that, but that didn't stop the image of Dean kicking their cocky asses from running through her head.

"Won't the police be happy when they hear about two kids in the bar." Walter began, his lackey Mark standing a few feet behind.

"Well, here's how I see it. Uncle Fred, our friendly neighborhood police chief is tired of you two screwing up— from what I hear. And, you know, going to a bar is technically a violation of your parol. Ker, didn't Fred say something about no more second chances?"

"I believe his exact words were 'screw up again and off to prison." Kerri supplied, standing behind Dean.

"Tough love's sometimes the only thing that gets through to the lug-nuts." Dean shook his head like he was disciplining a week old puppy. Or maybe getting ready to put old yeller down.

"You better learn to watch your mouth, boy." Walter advanced a few steps, and while Kerri flinched and turned her attention to Mark, Dean didn't move a muscle. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was enjoying himself.

"Or what, you'll whine at me?"

It happened in an instant, but their years of living with each other had both Kerri and Dean prepared. The instant Walter moved Dean countered, ducking and weaving, sending the older man stumbling on the uneven ground of the bluff. Dean pushed Kerri back as he moved around the tree, taking a few steps into the small clearing they'd been sitting in. Kerri's eyes immediately went to Mark, knowing the older man was planning on sneaking up behind Dean. She didn't waste a second.

Kerri anticipated the black haired man's move before he did, falling to the ground as she kicked out, tripping Mark and sending him tumbling through the clearing. The drop off from the bluff wasn't steep, but she knew if he did managed to stumble over it he'd be out of the fight. She scuttled back a little, watching Dean as he fought off Walter's advances. The older man knew how to fight, well at least he thought he did. But Dean was trained, and if Kerri was reading his body language correctly, the teen looked a little bit bored.

Dean countered each move perfectly, sparring with the man rather than fighting. And while Walter was growing tired and beginning to drop his hands, Dean showed no signs of weariness. A few well placed hits later and Walter was rolling down the clearing, coming to a stop by Mark who still hadn't gained his footing.

"Come on, Ker." Dean began, pulling Kerri to her feet, his eyes never leaving the dazed brothers.

The teens quickly made their way out of the clearing, knowing the Miller brothers would be behind them as soon as they gained their feet, and Kerri knew this time they weren't gonna fight fair. They half walked, half ran up the street, not wanting to draw the attention of all the nosy residents of Valley, especially Anna. If the shopkeeper found out they'd been fighting there was gonna be hell to pay. Heck, Kerri was still getting reamed for hitting Tim Collins and that was nine years ago.

They collected their bikes at the Tavern before making their way to Anna's store to pick up Sam and Evelyn. Kerri let out a sigh of relief when she saw the twelve year olds sitting out on the weathered porch, each with a soda and a bag of goodies between them. Kerri knew that, if they had to go into the store to get them Anna would without a doubt corner them.

"Come on," Dean began curtly, not even stopping by the pair, "we're going home."

"What? Why?" Evelyn asked, while both she and Sam jumped to their feet to follow after the fast moving pair. "And why are you all dirty, Kerri?"

"No reason." Kerri answered, noticing for the first time that her entire side was covered in mud and grass.

"Was it the Millers?" Sam asked, throwing their bag of treats into the basket on the back of his bike.

"Maybe."

"You should turn them in." Sam began, turning serious. "They attacked minors, plus they were in the Tavern earlier, which is a violation of their parol."

"What are you, our lawyer?" Dean asked, shooting his brother a look. "You're forgetting the part where Kerri and I snuck into a bar underage and gambled at a pool table."

"Still, look what they did to Kerri."

Dean stopped so quick Kerri nearly hit him with the front tire of her bike. The older teen swung around, his green eyes frighteningly sharp as he took in her appearance. "What'd they do to you."

"Nothing, I fell when I knocked Mark down the hill." Kerri answered, shooting Sam an angered look— she knew exactly what the young brunette was trying to do. "I'm just dirty."

"Still, I think we should stay home from now on." Dean spoke again after a minute, still studying Kerri.

"That's what I've been saying." Evelyn pipped up, sipping her soda.

"Dean, home's boring." Sam pouted, and Kerri couldn't help but laugh when Dean rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"You know I'm to the point where I'm just gonna lock you both in the attic and feed you through a slot in the door."

"I'll tell Dad if you try." Sam started, making Kerri laugh. Even at twelve years old, he still took his brother's word for gold.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello once again everything. thank you all so much for the great reviews. as always, enjoy and let me know what you think. :) i'm posting this late monday night just cause i'm not sure if i'm gonna be around tomorrow. :)_

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 5

John Winchester sat in the dark and musty motel room, his journal open before him, countless news clippings and sketches pinned to the walls around him— this hunt was much bigger than he thought. He'd originally believed he was dealing with a Wendigo. Missing hikers, nothing around but torn packs, it seemed routine. But now, well now he wasn't so sure. He didn't find any of the tell tale signs of a Wendigo. One, he was too far east for them to really thrive. Two, there were no caves, no mines, no places to hold up with your prey. And three, there was no blood. When a Wendigo took its prey, it did it in a messy manner.

All that didn't change the fact that John still had ten missing hikers and no explanation for their were abouts. The hikers had started to go missing the summer beforehand, and John was thankful they were so far north, the cold winter keeping hikers away from the Maine woods. But the weather had warmed again, and with the spring came the outdoors enthusiasts. The weathered hunter rubbed his tired eyes, he was at the tip of a cliff and he could feel himself beginning to fall. In the two weeks he'd been in Chesuncook, Maine, the closest town he could find to his target area of Baxter State Park, four more hikers had gone missing. The remoteness of the area was a blessing in disguise— if more people could wander in, the death toll would be much higher.

John sighed, dropping his hand as he looked back to the worn pages of his journal. He'd learned a lot over the years, things he didn't want to know. He'd seen things he never wanted to believe in, killed things that should inhabit only nightmares, and it was wearing him down. When he'd first set out he was looking for the thing that killed Mary, the thing that took away his perfect life, his special future. But, with each day that passed his quest slipped further and further away. He still couldn't believe the amount on darkness the world held, hidden in back allies and behind bedroom blinds. Evil was everywhere.

John ran his hand over the picture in the leaf of his journal, a sad smile gracing his face as he stared at the image. Dean and Sam deserved more than this. Tom Harrison had taken the picture a few years beforehand when they'd decided to take all four kids camping in Yellowstone. The trip had been a success for the most part, a few tantrums, a few minor disasters, the basics of trying to camp with your children. But it had been a welcome and much needed break from hunting, and the picture John now kept in the folds of his journal was a reminder of that time.

On one level John was happy he made that long drive to Valley Wyoming ten years ago. He wished more than anything his boys didn't know about the dark corners of the world, that they could just be boys, just be children— and Valley gave them that little bit of normal. But it made them complacent, made them comfortable, and the senior Winchester knew that complacency could turn deadly. There were dangers lurking around every corner, evils waiting to steal his boys from him, to take away everything he loved— and he couldn't let that happen. He'd slept while Mary died, left her vulnerable for attack, and he'd be damned if he let his sons fall to the same fate. No, they had to be ready at a moment's notice, had to be able to see the danger hidden in the everyday, there was no other way to survive.

Tom Harrison didn't see life that way, though, and as a result he didn't prepare his girls for the world which lay just beyond their door. He kept the house secure, told the girls what to do incase evil ever entered their home, but beyond that, he let their defenses fall. They didn't check cars before they got in them, didn't secure restaurants or bars before sitting down— no, they just went about their lives like everything was normal. But John knew it wasn't. He'd seen too many people walk right into the darkness without even knowing, and he was afraid the Harrison girls would unwittingly lead Sam and Dean down that exact same path.

John was pulled from his thoughts when his cell phone began to ring. He rubbed his tired eyes, picking up the offending object. Dean had talked him into getting the thing a few months before, telling him it would be easy to keep in touch during hunts. John still didn't see the point, there were phones in motel rooms the last time he checked. "Winchester."

_"Find anything new?"_ Tom Harrison asked, getting straight to business. John knew there was a reason he still hunted with the man.

"No, except some more hikers went missing."

_"Damn it. Can't you close the area off?"_

"I've tried, told the rangers we had reasons to believe there were criminals in the forest. They've posted warnings, but not much else they can do. People are just dump enough to keep going in."

_"At least the posts should keep most sane people away."_

"Yeah, so instead of fifty dead we only get twenty." John bit out— he didn't want anyone dying on his watch.

_"Bitting my head off isn't gonna help matters. I'm leaving the university now, told them there was a family emergency back east."_

"What about the kids?" John asked. He was certain Tom would be able to take the time off, tenure had its benefits. The kids, well that was another story. School was out for the summer, but that didn't stop the nosy people around Valley from asking questions. Dean and Kerri were old enough to be on their own, both sixteen, but still technically minors. And damn it, John hated technicalities.

_"I'll talk to them. Somehow I don't think they'll mind."_

"Why's that?" John asked, if only his boys knew how much he missed them when he was away.

_"They're teenagers, John. A few weeks without parents is gonna be like winning the lottery."_

John just smiled, knowing the four would wreak havoc on the small mountain town. "Party at the Harrisons."

_"They better not. Though, I think you might have to give Dean back his car."_

John's smile grew wider. He had taken the keys to the Impala when he'd learned of Dean and Kerri's little side trip into the bar. The senior Winchester had been there, many times, and he knew the place was trouble. Dean could handle himself, but Kerri, she never should have been in there. It was a stupid move, a dumb risk on both their parts, and John knew taking the Impala got the message through Dean's head loud and clear. "Dean hasn't hot-wired it yet?"

_"Are you kidding? Evelyn suggested it and I thought Dean was gonna have her court-martialed."_

"Alright, give him the key before you head out. I left a little money with Dean, too."

_"Don't worry about that, John. I can cover the kids."_

"No, you can't. We're not beggars, Tom, we can fend for ourselves."

_"You really wanna take the risk of them heading to Breakers again?"_

"They learned their lesson."

_"This is your son and my daughter, John, they're too stubborn to learn their lesson."_

John laughed, knowing his friend was right. Dean and Kerri were definitely their parent's kids. "You heading out tomorrow then?"

_"Yeah, gonna head out around nine, the drive should take about three days."_

"Alright, I'll see what I can dig up in the meantime."

_"Be careful, John, we don't need you going missing, too."_

"So you're not tired of my ugly mug, yet?"

_"Oh no, I'm tired of it alright. But if you go missing that means I inherit two more hormonal teenagers." _Tom joked_._

John smiled despite himself, chuckling as he answered. He'd never openly asked Tom to look after Sam and Dean if anything happened. He'll no one was actually in line to take the boys if he didn't return. But John knew, deep in his heart that, if anything ever happened to him his friend would indeed step up to the plate. "I wouldn't dream of putting you through that kind of torture."

_"You're too kind. Call me if anything new comes up."_

John closed the phone, turning back to the journal. He didn't like the idea of his boys home alone, though it happened more often than not. But the Harrison's house was safe— as long as the teens stayed in it and out of trouble.

666666666666

"But, daaaadddd."

"Evelyn, you're on my last nerve."

"I've been on your last nerve for the past hour."

"I'm well aware of that." Tom sighed, throwing a few shirts in his duffel.

"Why can't John get someone else to help him? Bobby's a whole lot closer."

"Bobby's on another job. And besides, I've looked through John's notes, I already know what we're up against."

"What about Jefferson, or Caleb, or Joshua?"

"Evelyn, I'm going to help John. What's this all about anyway." Tom asked, resting his hands on the little girl's shoulders. She liked being around him, hell she liked being around people in general. He had hoped her clinginess would have left with age, but apparently, Evelyn was as in need of him as ever.

"I just don't want you to go is all." Evelyn answered quietly, bowing her head. "I like when you're here. Besides, when you leave everybody bosses me around."

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's true, Dean gets all Dean and Kerri backs him up."

"That's because the pair of them are in charge and they know what they're doing."

"They're just kids like me. They just wing it."

"Winging it or not, they're older." Tom smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. There was a secret between the four children, Tom knew it for certain.

It all started about five years ago, the same summer he and John and gone east for a hunt— the first time they'd left the children alone. Something had happened that summer, but what, Tom couldn't figure out. The children never really spoke about it, and when asked, they only gave vague responses. 'It was good' 'Normal' 'Nothing weird'. It was all Tom ever got. But he'd come home to find them sick and scared, and it was something which still haunted him. He'd lost his children's trust that summer, or at least he'd lost Kerri's trust and he knew it was something he was never going to get back.

"But, Dad, Dean doesn't even have a car. And I'm not riding my bike to buy groceries."

"Dean's getting the Impala back."

"How long will you be gone?" Evelyn finally conceded, sitting on the bed as Tom folded some jeans.

"I'm not sure yet, maybe a couple weeks."

"What if you don't come back?"

Tom stopped his packing, turning again to the pale eyed girl. "I promise I'm coming back."

"You can't keep that promise."

Tom sighed, sitting down beside Evelyn. These were the times that broke him the most. Normally Evelyn was an inquisitive and daring little girl, but when it came time to face change, to face loss, she morphed into something else. She became withdrawn, afraid, doubtful, and Tom didn't know how to fix it. "I'll call you everyday."

"Why can't you just stay?"

"Because I can't, Evelyn." Tom kissed the top of his young daughter's head before returning to packing, Evelyn remaining silent as he worked.

66666666666

The next morning came earlier than Tom would have liked. He hadn't gotten to sleep until three in the morning, which made seven a.m seem all the earlier.

"Morning, Mr. Harrison." Sam smiled when Tom entered the kitchen, the kid looking way too wide awake for the hour.

Tom made his way to the coffee pot, shaking his head as he began preparing the brew. "You know, not even my students call me Mr. Harrison."

"Force of habit I guess."

"Why don't you call Bobby, Mr. Singer?"

Sam snorted, nearly knocking over his cereal. "Mr. Singer," Sam just laughed, shaking his head. Tom smiled, apparently Bobby didn't get the star treatment.

"What're you doing up so early?" Sam asked after a few minutes.

"I need to get a few things from the basement before I head out."

"Did Evelyn talk to you?" Sam asked, looking at him with those expressive brown eyes.

Tom sighed, "Yes, last night. Everything will be fine here."

"That's what I keep telling her."

"You gonna keep an eye on her for me?"

"Yeah, I got it. You don't have to worry."

"Thanks, Sam."

The pair sat in comfortable silence for the rest of the morning, talking occasionally, but mostly reading. Tom had the morning news, and Sam was still reading the book on Native American history he had given him. Tom smiled at the young boy, he was a smart kid, he had great potential. Both the Winchester boys had great potential. Tom had to remind himself not to count Dean out, not to give up on him like everyone else already had. Too many people thought the young man was a lost cause, and Tom refused to be one of them. Because, the more people gave up on him, the more Dean would drift.

Tom's thoughts drifted to Kerri despite himself— she was a different story. Tom wanted to believe his eldest had a future, wanted to believe she could live out the life she dreamed of, the life she deserved. But he knew the truth, and that truth laid like a dark blanket over Kerri's future. The hunter shook his head, regaining his senses as he heard footsteps along the floor above. He couldn't lose himself to the past, he had to focus on the here and now.

"You two are up already?" Dean asked, rubbing his eyes as Kerri and Evelyn followed behind him.

"We've been up for over an hour." Tom answered, Sam still reading his book. "At least I have, Sam was up when I came down here."

"That's cause he's a weirdo." Dean groused, hitting the back of Sam's book as he made his way to the coffee. Sam just grumbled something that sounded a lot like 'freaking jerk' but didn't lift his eyes from the book.

"So, Dean." Tom began after a few moments, glad he'd have a chance to talk to the boy without John around. Dean had been avoiding him ever since his father left. "I was talking to a colleague, he's got a place for you in one of his summer courses."

Dean blanched, chocking on his coffee, "I said I was sorry about the bar."

"This isn't punishment." Tom stated, brow furrowed.

"Who in their right mind would want to go to school in the summer?"

"Sam's taking one of the junior courses." Tom defended. He wanted to keep Dean in some kind of school curriculum for as long as possible. Tom was still livid with John's decision to pull Dean from school at the age of sixteen.

"That's cause Sam's weird."

"I am not."

"Does dad know about your summer class?" Dean asked accusingly, rounding on Sam.

Sam's face reddened. "No, but seeing as he's not here, I don't see what it hurts."

"He's your father." Dean answered back coldly. Tom instantly wished he hadn't brought up the subject. While Evelyn had grown closer to him over the years Sam and John's relationship had gone the opposite way. Sam undermined his father's decisions at every turn, fought with the man more than Tom thought was possible. The senior Harrison tried to tell himself it was the hormones, but he knew there was more to it, Sam was just as explosive as his father and Tom knew that was dangerous.

"Yeah, and he's doing a killer job at it right now."

"Don't, Sam—."

"I'm taking the class, Dean, and you're not gonna stop me."

"I'm not?"

"You can't lock me in the house, I'm not a prisoner."

"Keep talking and that might change."

"Oh yeah, I'd like to see you try it." Sam was on his feet now, toe to toe with his brother.

Even though Dean was four years older than Sam the younger man was still tall for his age, and Tom knew someday the twelve year old was gonna out grow his older brother. "Boys." he began, fearing they may come to physical blows.

The brothers just started at each other for a few more minutes before turning away, each going in a different direction.

"What a wonderful start to the summer." Kerri began after a moment, the girls still standing by the doorway to the kitchen.

"Not really the time or place, Ker."

"Sorry, Dad."

"You still think leaving's the best idea?" Evelyn asked quietly, looking more than a little shell shocked. She hated it when the boys fought, Tom knew that for certain.

It was something that, while alien to the three of them, was becoming more and more common. When they were young Sam adored Dean, and Dean took on the role of big brother with a passion that was scary. But, as they grew Sam's idolization lessened, and in its place was a desire to fight against everything he thought was holding him back— and unfortunately Dean was on that list.

"Kerri, the Impala keys are on a magnetic strip behind the crown molding on the cabinets." Tom began after a few minutes, turning to the basement.

"Man, that's a freaking awesome hiding place." Kerri began, turning her attention to the cabinets.

"Just, try and keep Sam and Dean in one piece till John and I get back."

"You know I will, Dad." Kerri answered solemnly, her hand falling on Evelyn's shoulder.

Tom looked at his girls long and hard, amazed how old they seemed in that moment. They were no longer his little girls, no longer the pigtail wearing kids who used to run rampant around the house. They were becoming women and he couldn't have been more proud of who they were both growing to be, he just wished he could slow down the years, just a little. He wanted his children to remain children, to be safe from the world, shielded behind rose colored lenses, behind the lie that their daddy could make everything better. He knew it was an impossible dream, an impossible wish, but that didn't matter. Tom just wished he could see more than impending darkness when he looked at his children.


	6. Chapter 6

_hello all. thank you once again for all the great reviews, they make my day. enjoy :)_

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 6

Dean sat in the attic, listening as the firebird disappeared down the long dirt road. This was going to be a long few weeks. Not only was he still without a car, now he had to deal with an hormonal Sam. Yeah, this was gonna be a blast. He knew Tom had his best interests in mind, but Dean was a Winchester— they took care of their own. Dean didn't need Tom standing up for him, making decisions behind his father's back. He just needed him to let this battle go, to understand where his father was coming from. John needed Dean to back him up, needed him to hunt, and really, school wasn't going to help with that. Or at least, that's what Dean kept telling himself.

It wasn't the classes he was going to miss, the teachers and assignment happily in the past now. No, what he was going to miss about school was what in meant to his friendship with Kerri. They had made plans, plans for the future. It wasn't something they did often, both knowing the future wasn't a given, and Dean was afraid now it was something they'd never do again. Whenever they tried to be normal, whenever they tried to join the real world, something pulled them back down into the darkness. But that was just their lives, and Dean knew he was going to have to learn to accept it.

He knew it was something Sam would never accept. Sam wanted to make his own way, wanted to follow his own decisions. Dean couldn't really fault him for it, but he knew he wouldn't be able to stand behind him either. Dean knew what sacrificing was, had been doing it since the age of four— Sam, on the other hand, had grown up shielded from it. He never knew what his big brother gave up to give him a normal life, to give him choices.

Kerri's earlier words came back to him as he sat— stay. Dean wanted nothing more than to stay, to be in Valley, with his family safe and whole. He wanted a home. He knew it was impossible, though, knew the world had other plans for him, but he could still dream. Valley was the only place he felt accepted, the only place he felt like he could be himself and not be faulted for it. When he was in some nameless hotel in backwood town number four, he couldn't be himself. More often than not his father was away or researching, dumping Dean and Sam in the motel and telling them to head to school— to keep the CPS away.

Dean knew his father loved them, knew he cared, but he also knew his dad was a hunter, and that came first. Hunters saved people, protected people, drove evil from the world— hunters were heros. Dean would never stand in the way of his father's quest, his father's calling. Because, if he did, people would die, and that was a reality Dean could never live with. Sam— he didn't understand that. When he was young the idea of his dad fighting monsters was cool, but the superhero aura had since worn off. Now he saw John as an absentee father, as someone who didn't care, and Dean couldn't find anyway to convince Sam he was wrong. No, all Sam saw were the mistakes, the missed soccer games, missed school plays. All Sam saw was the deviation from normal, not the reasons behind it.

"I know something you don't know." Kerri's voice broke though the heavy silence, pulling Dean back from the void he was falling into. He looked over at the smiling redhead, knowing he would never survive leaving her behind. Their friendship was the one thing he knew he could never sacrifice.

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"Guess."

"Kerri, I'm really not in the mood." Dean grumbled, turning back to the window. At that moment he just wanted to be alone. But, despite the freakishly large size of Kerri's house and the fact that there were now only four people in it, that feat still seemed impossible.

"You're a barrel of laughs." Kerri groused, sitting on the large windowsill with Dean.

"Where's Sam?"

"My dad said I have to keep you both in one piece till they get back. So, I don't think I should tell you."

Dean just shot his smirking friend a look. "Did you know about his summer class?"

"No, but Sam doesn't really confide in me. Though I'd bet money Ev knew."

"I'm with you there."

"At the risk of facing your wrath, why're you so bent out of shape about it?"

"He should have told Dad."

"And what would John have said?"

"No, most likely."

"And that conversation would have been productive?"

"I'm not saying they wouldn't have fought about it, I'm just saying Sam shouldn't do things behind his own father's back. And your dad should have known better."

"My dad should know better about a lot of things."

"You agree with Sam on this?"

"I don't see what it could hurt."

Dean just sighed, Sam got away with a lot. He just hoped his brother's stubborn streak would pitter out sooner or later. Because, if Sam was going behind people's backs now, what was gonna happen when he was older. "Yeah, maybe. Doesn't matter since he's got no way to get there."

"I don't know about that." Kerri answered cryptically.

"Ker, the university's like forty miles away, he's not gonna ride his bike."

"Yeah well, I still know something you don't know."

Dean narrowed his eyes, staring at his smirking friend, realization dawning on him, "you have my car keys."

"I now have complete power."

"Give 'em up." Dean asked eagerly, holding out his hand. But Kerri just continued to smirk. "What?"

"You gotta guess where they are."

"Kerri, I've been trying to figure out where they were for the last month."

"And now I know the secret hiding place. You know, I think your slingshot's probably there, too."

"I still say Sadie's demon spawn of a cat deserved it. Come on, Kerri, spit it out."

"Oh no, you're gonna have to guess."

"That's stupid and not fair."

"Life isn't fair, Winchester."

"Do you have them?" Dean asked, eyeing the redhead as he leaned toward her. "You do."

"No, I don't."

"Give." Dean pounced, reaching into the pockets of her hoodie.

"Dean, I don't have them. Try again."

"You liar." Dean searched the arms of her hoodie, her jeans pockets, belt loops. He knew the girl had to have them.

"You're gonna knock me out the freaking window."

"Well then tell me where they are."

"You've only been looking for five seconds and you already want a hint?" Kerri accused, pushing Dean off her.

"Are you challenging me?"

"Maybe. I mean, you're a hunter, all you have to do is find a stationary set of keys."

"You little shit. Does Evelyn know?"

"Yeah right, if I'm not gonna tell you what makes you think she is."

"That is true. Alright, I've already checked the attic, basement, library, parlor, every bedroom, all the bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room, the back den, and the sheds." Dean listed, going through the inventory in his mind. "That's everywhere. I even searched the reading room." Dean added. It was a room few entered, the one room completed before Elizabeth had died. It had been a gift to her from Tom, a reminder of what the house would be like once it was finished.

"You want a hint?"

"No."

"Are you sure, Winchester?"

"I'll tell you when I want a hint."

"What's the matter, don't think you have what it takes?"

"Oh believe me, Harrison, I've got what it takes."

"Big words."

"Just you wait."

Kerri just crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows. Dean huffed, turning to the room at his friend's challenge. He'd been looking for the keys to the Impala since his father had taken them, but to no avail. It was freaking annoying— his father could hide anything if given enough time. The young hunter squared his shoulders, scanning the attic from his seat in the dormer. He was just gonna start at the top of the house and work his way down.

He felt a little bit like an idiot when he looked around the space, moving to the corner furthest from the door, his sharp green eyes scanning the area. He turned over a small trunk, Kerri snickering behind him when he studied the floorboards for probably the hundredth time. "No clues means no snickering."

"I wasn't snickering, I was clearing my throat."

Dean just shot her a look before going back to his search. He scanned every inch of the large attic, pulling back the clutter, scanning the floorboards, hell he was even gonna pull off the baseboards before Kerri kicked him. "Would you mind not destroying my house in your search. I still haven't told my dad about the hole in the big closet yet."

"That wasn't my fault."

"All I know is Sam locked himself in there and an hour later he was downstairs and there was a big hole in the back wall."

"Again, you can't tie me to any sort of destructive rescue mission."

"Ever hear of a lock-pick."

"Doesn't work on rusty doors."

"Uh huh, and how would you know that if you weren't part of the rescue mission?"

"You're distracting me."

"Alright, but I am gonna tell you you don't have to break anything to find them."

"I said no hints."

The pair continued like that for several hours. It was slow going to say the least, Kerri's house one of the biggest ones Dean had ever laid eyes on. He'd spent nearly a month looking high and low for the keys to the Impala, searching every room of Kerri's house, every staircase, every secret passage— but there was nothing. And it was eating him up inside to know that Kerri now knew where they were, unless.

"Are you just messing with me?" Dean asked, turning to face the redhead, shinning his flashlight in her eyes. They'd grabbed a few out of the attic, knowing a few closets and staircases were without lights.

"I wasn't touching you."

"Do you really know where the keys are?"

"Yes, want a hint yet?"

"Yeah right." Dean backed out of the small crawl space he was in, knowing he was going overboard. How the hell would his dad hide something in a space he wouldn't be able to fit in.

They'd made it to the second floor of the house by this point, Dean's stomach growling. They needed to stop for lunch, but he wanted to finish at least half of the floor. Dean pushed Kerri out of his way, the younger girl just smiling as she followed behind him, moving to the big closet in the middle of the hall. It was more like a small room than a closet, probably one third the size of the normal bedrooms in the house. It opened up onto the main second floor hallway and was probably once a bedroom when the original house still stood. The grand addition, as Sam had dubbed it, turned the room into more of a closet, the back of it butting against the small closet of one of the two front guest rooms. Making the hole in the back of it completely hidden, unless, of course, you already knew it was there.

Dean pulled open the door, jumping back when something inside it moved. He shined the light forward, scanning the shelves. "Jeez, Sammy."

"Are you stalking me or something?" Sam shot back, sitting back in the corner.

"What are you doing in here again?"

"Reading."

"In a bitch black closet?"

"I do have a flashlight. I came in here so no one would bother me."

"And so you could get locked in again?"

"As I remember, you're the one that locked the door and couldn't get it open again. Besides, there's an emergency exit now."

"My dad told you two not to cut holes in the floor." Kerri answered, still standing in the hallway.

"It's not in the floor, it's in the wall." Sam answered innocently.

"Dean pays you, doesn't he. Where's Evelyn?"

"I don't know, it wasn't my turn to watch her."

"She said she was gonna come find you."

"Maybe she decided to do something else, we aren't babies you know."

"Says the kid hiding in the closet with his book." Dean mumbled, starting his search of the closet.

"Whatever, what're you two doing wandering around the house with flashlights?"

"Kerri knows where the car keys are."

"And?"

"And, I'm looking for them."

"If she knows where they are, then why're you looking?"

"Cause if Tom told her where Dad hid them then it's possible I can find them. I'm not gonna let Dad outsmart me."

"Ugh, Dean, the man isn't even here."

"Doesn't matter."

"Whatever." Sam mumbled, sitting back on the pillows in the corner. "If you see Evelyn don't tell her where I am."

"You just told me you didn't know where she was, not that you're hiding from her." Kerri began, rounding on Sam.

"I wanna be left alone, and if she figures out where I am she's gonna start bugging me. She's in a mood."

"Well then she should fit right in with you." Dean answered, pushing Sam up from his seat and checking behind the pillows.

"Are you done?" Sam snapped back, folding the corner of the page over before shutting his book.

"No."

"Kerri, just tell him where to look."

"No clues."

"Is there some great meeting of the minds I should know about?" They all turned to see Evelyn standing by the door, looking lost and more than a little confused.

"Dean's looking for the car keys." Sam began with a sigh.

"Oh, they're on top of the kitchen cabinets." Evelyn answered.

"Damn it, Ev." both Kerri and Dean shot back in unison.

"What, I didn't know it was a secret."

"Welcome to the warped minds of our older siblings."

"I already checked on top of the cabinets." Dean stated, smacking the back of Sam's head when his little brother passed.

"Since we know where they are, can we go to the library." Sam asked, shooting his brother death glares.

"No."

"Dean."

"Sam." Dean whined back, making his way to the kitchen, the other four following behind. Big huge house and still, all three managed to find him.

"Why do you have to make my life suck?"

"Cause I'm your brother, it's my job."

"Yeah well, sometimes I wish I didn't have a brother." Sam began, pushing past Dean and running down the hall.

Dean froze, his brother's words like bullets. He could hear Evelyn saying something, the brunette following Sam down the stairs, but her words were like a buzzing in his ears. He could feel Sam slipping away from him, drifting, disappearing, and Dean didn't know what to do to bring him back.

"He didn't mean it, Dean." Kerri's quiet voice broke through the haze, her hand resting on his shoulder. He didn't know if it was the first thing she said or the end of a long explanation of his younger brother's outburst. He just knew Kerri was wrong. Sam meant it, every heart stopping syllable.

Sam wanted to get away from him, wanted to be normal, and he saw Dean as an anchor, a rock pulling him under no matter how hard he fought. But Sammy didn't realize how much Dean needed him, didn't realize Sam was keeping him afloat, keeping him from succumbing to the darkness. No one knew what Dean needed.

"Dean?" Kerri spoke again, her voice more urgent. "You're scaring me, Dean."

That brought Dean around, his eyes landing on his friend, Kerri's blue gaze like a deep ocean. "He hates me, they both hate me."

"Nobody hates you, Dean."

"You heard him."

"He didn't mean it, he's just a kid."

"That why he's started hiding in the closet?"

"Look, I can't begin to fathom the mind that is Sam Winchester, but I do know he doesn't hate you."

Dean didn't answer, knowing Kerri was trying to cheer him up. Sam did hate him, same as Dad. Dean had let them both down, time and time again, and they were tired of keeping him standing, tired of holding up the weak link. _Stay_. The young hunter turned to face Kerri, the redhead still looking at him, her hand still on his shoulder. Maybe they could stay. Maybe that was what his family needed— John could hunt without having to worry about him screwing up. And Sammy, Sam could go to school, go to college, be a normal kid.

He knew it wasn't a permanent fix, knew there were more bridges he needed to build, more battles he needed to fight, but maybe now he could have a reprieve. Sam was only twelve and he'd already gone toe to toe with his father, had already begun disobeying him. If the young man was starting his rebellion now, what was it going to be like when he was older? Dean could feel a rift forming, like the ground beneath him was splitting open. He wanted everything to be the way it was, he needed it all to stay the same. All Dean had was his family, those few people he surrounded himself with— and now all that was fading away. Sam wanted a different life, Dad was falling more and more into the hunt, Tom was trying to break John's iron rule and Kerri wanted him to stay— with or without his family. But all Dean wanted, all Dean needed was for everything to be the way it was, no fighting, no falling outs, no fear. Unfortunately, in everyone's rush to give Dean what he needed everyone failed to see what it was he truly wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

_hello everyone, sorry for the delay, i've had a lot going on this past week. thank you all once again for the great reviews, they really make my day! enjoy :)_

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 7

Sam was peddling as fast as his tired legs would allow. He was sick and tired of that house, sick and tire of everyone telling him what to do, and he was sick and tired of his overbearing big brother. No matter where he went Dean was there, waiting to relay another one of their father's stupid orders. God, Dad wasn't even in the same state and he was still controlling Sam's life. It wasn't fair. No one else had to live under the constant watch of their family, no one else his age was treated like a baby. He was old enough to do what he wanted to do, old enough to make his own decisions. He just wished everyone else would open up their eyes and see that. He wasn't a baby anymore, wasn't 'Sammy' anymore.

Sam peddled harder, taking a turn faster than he should have. He righted the bike mere moments before wiping out, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get away, wanted to put as much distance as he could between himself and his overbearing brother. Dean was probably following him at that moment, waiting in town to make a fool of him, the yell at him like some little kid in front of everyone. Just to make his life miserable. After all, 'that's what big brothers were for'. Sam ground his teeth as his temper spiked, sometimes he wished he was an only child.

Life would be easier if he didn't have to live in the shadow of his big brother, if he wasn't followed wherever he went, constantly watched like some kind of baby. He was twelve years old after all, he wasn't a kid anymore. But try telling that to Dean. Sam stood up, peddling even faster, trying to outrun his life. Dean had no idea what it was like being his little brother. Sam didn't have any friends besides Evelyn. All the kids in the town picked on him, pushed him around, running off in laughter when Dean swooped to the rescue before Sam even had the chance to push himself to his feet. Sam could take care of himself, he didn't need Dean monitoring every move he made.

Sam skidded to a halt outside Jeff's bar, parking his bike in the back— he knew Dean was out looking for him, and he didn't want to be found. Dean prided himself on his Sammy-tracking abilities, but the brunette knew his brother better than anyone. Dean would look in the library first, then the candy store, then maybe the school— the bar would be low on his list of places to search. Sam pushed open the heavy door, the dim bar a welcome reprieve from his everyday life outside in the town's streets.

"Hey, Dude." Jeff began, standing behind the bar. "Where's your posse?"

"I don't know, it's not my job to watch them." Sam snapped back, throwing himself down in one of the booths.

"Hey, don't bite my head off, I'm just the bartender."

"Sorry."

"So, hiding from the big brother brigade?"

"How'd you guess."

"Don't forget, Sam, I'm a little brother, too." Jeff smirked, tossing Sam the key to the pool table. "I've got some paperwork, it'll give you a chance to warm up."

"Warm up?"

"Hey, you're probably the only Winchester that won't make me look like a little pansy on the pool table."

"So, you're prepared to get your butt kicked by a twelve year old?"

"As long as I get one shot in, I'll have more dignity than I do when I play against your dad and Dean."

"You're on." Sam smiled, turning to the table as Jeff turned back into the office behind the bar.

Sam unlocked the ball reserve, setting up the table as quickly as he could. Dean had been teaching him how to play pool for a few years, but it was more of an ass-kicking than a lesson. Dean refused to lose a game, even when there was no money on the line. Sure, he let a lot of easy shots slide, letting Sam catch up, but in the end, it was always Dean who sunk the eight ball, telling Sam it was a 'life lesson'.

Sam pushed his anger away, Dean wasn't even there and he was still pissing him off. The young boy stood with his back to the door, starting his practice round, the sound of the balls knocking together echoing through the empty bar. Sam let the silence wash over him, let the solitude calm his frayed nerves. He just wanted to be normal, just wanted to be a kid, but everyone seemed to have other plans for him.

Sam's heart sank when he heard the door open, a rush of warm air brushing against his back— he was hoping he could stay hidden just a little while longer. "You possessed by a BMX rider or something?"

Sam turned at the voice, surprised to see Evelyn standing in front on him. Honestly, she was the last person he'd excepted to see. He thought Dean would come for him, or maybe Kerri in an attempted to stop them from fighting. But Evelyn, that was a surprise. "You were following me?"

"I was trying to."

"Dean send you?" Sam accused, not putting it past his brother to send Evelyn to bring him home.

"No, Kerri was talking to him when I left."

"Probably forming a game plan to lock me in the house forever."

"Never know." Evelyn sighed, pulling a pool stick off the rack.

"I really wish your dad was still here." Sam mumbled, taking a shot.

"Me, too. Evelyn answered quietly, lining up a shot after Sam had missed his. "I asked him not to leave, but he never listens to me."

"None of them ever listen to us."

The pair played in comfortable silence for a while, both taking comfort in each other's presence. Sam liked hanging out with Evelyn, liked having someone else around he could relate to. She didn't try and push him, didn't watch every move he made like he was some kind of glass statue. She didn't treat him like a baby. Sam was twelve years old now, a year older than Dean and Kerri were the first time John and Tom had left them alone, a year older than they had been when they went up against the Watcher. But try telling that to them. No, they still treated Sam like he was a toddler.

"Huh, Sam alone is one thing, the both of you? That can't be a good sign." Jeff smirked as he came up to the table, eyeing the two twelve year olds.

"You didn't call Dean, did you?" Sam asked, eyeing Jeff wearily. The older man had been in the back for a while.

"Hey, I'm not a snitch. Besides, I have faith Dean can find you two on his own. That kid's like a basset hound when it comes to you guys."

Sam and Evelyn laughed, their stress dissipating. "I'm gonna tell him you said that." Sam smirked.

"Last time I let you use my bar as a safe house. You two ready?"

"You guys play, I'll play referee." Evelyn began, climbing up onto one of the high chairs which lined the wall.

"Shark, you're just gonna learn our moves." Jeff smiled, taking a pool stick off the rack.

"Jeff, are you accusing me of being less than honest?" Evelyn asked sweetly, batting her eyes.

"Oh yes, Evelyn, I am. I know your game."

"I have winner then."

"You're on, little girl."

Sam smiled, re-racking the balls as Evelyn and Jeff teased each other. It was normal, just like life should have been. There were no monsters in the pub, no demons, no dangers— there were just people, just friends enjoying each other's company. Sam wondered sometimes if his father and Dean forgot what it was like to be normal, to have friends, to not be afraid. They didn't form close bonds, never let their guards down, it was like the rest of his family had no idea what normal was.

They played in companionable silence for a while, Evelyn cheering every now and again, or 'ooing' when a shot looked too hard. It was a little annoying, but Sam relished the normalcy of it all. For that little bit of time, the world outside the bar had slipped away, taken up residence on the edge of thought, and he liked it.

"So," Jeff began, breaking the comfortable silence. "Care to clue me in as to why I've got a couple of twelve year old fugitives hiding out in my bar."

"No reason." Sam mumbled, sitting in the chair beside Evelyn, taking a sip of the soda Jeff had brought. Sam didn't really want to go into it, didn't want strangers knowing his family's business. He was enough of a freak already without dragging his father into it.

"Alright, just know that if you need someone to vent to, I'm here. We little brothers need to stick together."

The afternoon was the first perfect afternoon Sam had had in a long time. No one was telling him what to do or treating him like a baby. On the contrary, Jeff was really good at treating him like an actual person instead of 'precious little Sammy'. It was nice, refreshing in a way. It was like stepping out of his life. A moment later, though, that reprieve was broken. Sam closed his eyes, wishing for just a few more minutes, but the tell tale growl on the Impala's engine sealed his fate. Dean had found him.

Sam braced for the inevitable, listened with bated breath as the engine stopped. He could just barely make out the sound of the car door slamming closed, but then, surprisingly, there was nothing. Sam kept watching the door, wondering why Dean wasn't busting through like some kind of crazed action star, searching down the empty bar for any type of threat against his defiant little brother. But Dean never came in.

A heavy weight began to settle in the pit of Sam's stomach. He knew his brother, better than anyone, so where was he? The brunette's earlier words came back to haunt him as he stared at the door.

'_Yeah well, sometimes I wish I didn't have a brother.'_

Sam knew it was something he shouldn't have said, knew it was anger and nothing more that made him speak the words. But he thought Dean knew that, too. Maybe he had pushed too hard this time.

"Sam, it's your turn." Evelyn's voice brought him back to the present. Sam glanced once more at the door, his little bit of normal suddenly incredibly empty.

66666666666

Kerri sat in the passenger seat of the Impala while Dean drove over every inch of the small town, searching for Sam high and low. Their first stop had been the library, then they'd tried Mrs. Matthews' shop, but still no luck. Hell, Kerri was sure the kid was hanging around the school somewhere, but that also turned out to be a big annoying dead end. The redhead was beginning to wonder if he was in town at all, or if he had chosen a more secluded hiding spot.

She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she had to brace herself against the dash when Dean made a sudden turn. The blonde was cursing, pulling to a stop across the street from Jeff's bar. And Kerri immediately saw why. Sam and Evelyn's bikes were leaning up against the back of the bar, clearly visible in the empty parking lot. At least they were together, that narrowed down the search.

Kerri looked over when Dean cut the engine, her friend pulling himself from the car without a word— but she knew that look. Dean Winchester was pissed. Kerri jumped out of the car, rounding the front to head off Dean. Sam was pissed, he wouldn't have said what he did if he wasn't, but adding a pissed off Dean to the mix wasn't a good idea.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute."

"For what?"

"Just hear me out. Do you really need to go barging in there?"

"Yeah, I do. I gotta get Sammy."

"Why, to yell at him? Look, Evelyn's there, Jeff's there, he's safe, Dean."

"Kerri—."

"Hey, I heard what he said, too. But he didn't mean it, Dean, you have to know that."

"He sounded pretty damn adamant to me."

"Yeah? Then what do you think barging in there is going to accomplish? Do you really want to continue this fight?"

Dean sighed heavily, leaning against the Impala. He suddenly looked a lot older than his sixteen years. "What do you want me to do, then?"

"Relax, give him some space. We know where he is, we can keep a look out."

"And what do you suppose we do in the meantime?"

"Hang around. There's always the arcade."

Dean shot Kerri a look, but he was smirking. "Ker, I haven't been into video games since I was Sam's age."

"Come on, I saw you playing before."

"To keep Sam occupied. It's just, after hunting the real bad guys, shooting at a little computer man kind of loses its thrill."

Kerri tried not to flinch at the admission. She didn't like Dean hunting, it was a fact she kept to herself. She wanted him to be safe with her, to be around for always— and hunting was the exact opposite of that. She still couldn't get the image of Dean, broken and bleeding after the black dog attack, out of her head.

"Smart ass. What do you wanna do, then?"

"Pool."

"What do you wanna do that doesn't involve bothering Sam?"

Dean smiled, knowing what Kerri was thinking before she even said it. "You got the folder in here?"

"There's always a copy in the Impala, you think I'd drop the ball now?"

"An hour, Ker." Dean caved, his eyes drifting back over to the bar as Kerri searched the backseat of the Impala. It was something they'd started about a year after the Watcher, and it had come in handy on more than one occasion. Whenever one of their fathers was on a hunt, Dean and Kerri would research it, making sure the older men didn't miss anything vital.

"Are you gonna call them or should I this time?"

"You, last time they missed something my dad took it out of me. I had to put the phone on mute."

"Deal."

"Remember, Ker, one hour then we get Sam."

"And dinner, you still owe me a corned beef sandwich."


	8. Chapter 8

_hello all. thank you all once again for the reviews, they make my day!! the action's gonna start picking up again, soon, i promise :)_

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 8

Two more, two more hikers were gone, vanished into thin air. It was driving John mad. He'd been tracking this thing for the better part of the last few weeks, souring every inch of land he could. But he still came up with nothing. All he knew were hikers were going missing, and he still had no idea why. He thought it was a Wendigo, but the more he looked, the more he came to realize he was up against something else. He knew he should have been grateful it was only two. The park rangers had put up numerous signs warning tourists of a rash of "animal attacks." Add to it the hot and muggy late August air and the park had very few adventure seekers in it. On the flip side, that made everyone who walked in a very likely target.

John looked up when the motel room door opened, Tom Harrison coming in, his arms ladened with dinner. The other hunter had been there for over a month now, and they were still no closer to figuring out what was going on. John briefly thought of the kids, he hated leaving them alone for such long periods of time. Normally it was just a few weeks, but sometimes their absences stretched on for over a month. Never before, though, had they been apart for this long.

"Dinner's served." Tom smirked, holding up the bags.

"Hope you got some beer in there, too." John signed, rubbing his tired eyes. This hunt was eating way at him— and not just because his sons were on the other side of the country. He'd been here before, when the kids were younger.

It was back in the summer of 1990, he and Tom had left the kids alone for more than two weeks, but it had been worth it. At least, that's what John had thought. He was sure he and Tom had destroyed the threat before, but apparently, he'd been wrong. Before, he thought the land was cursed, protected by the Native Americans who had once called the area home. He'd performed all the right rituals in the right order and the deaths had stopped. Had he missed something the first time around or had something else crept into the isolated land?

"Would I drop the ball?" Tom answered, handing John a beer and a wrapped up burger. "Find anything?"

"Nope." John began, pushing away the papers, "still sitting at square one with our freaking thumbs up our asses."

"John, you gotta calm down."

"Calm down? Two more people are dead, we're looking at spending more time away from the kids, and I can't help but feel like I missed something the last time."

"I know you're frustrated, but getting pissed off about it isn't gonna help. And don't worry about the kids, I got it covered."

"Yeah? How much money did you leave them?"

"Enough, but I'm gonna give Kerri a credit card, too. Just in case."

John raised his eyebrows, smiling as he studied Tom, "You're giving her access to a credit card?"

"For emergencies."

"Uh huh."

"Laugh all you want, but as long as it keeps them out of Breakers, I'll pay whatever I have to."

"Good point." John turned back to his dinner while Tom pulled out his cellphone. He wanted to say he trusted the two teens to stay out of the bar, but well, they were Kerri and Dean, they were known for taking risks.

"Kerri?" Tom began. John let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He knew the kids would be safe in Valley, but it was still nice to hear it for sure. "How's everything?— I'm not getting in the middle of it, Ker, they're twelve not two. Kerri—."

Tom shot John an annoyed glare when the other hunter laughed— kids could be amazing sometimes. And god, those times made John miss them even more.

"Kerri— is everyone still alive?— All their limbs attached?— No one sick or missing?— Then I'm not getting involved." Tom huffed, rolling his eyes as be began to pace, gripping the phone tighter than was probably wise. "I called because I wanted to tell you we'll be another few weeks at least.— Yes, Ker, I understand, that's why I'm gonna send you a credit card.— It's for emergencies, Kerri Anne. You do, do you? Repeat if for me then." Tom smiled, shaking his head as his eldest daughter spoke. "Where's Dean by the way? He better not be—. Alright, stay safe, and remember, Ker, emergencies."

"Where's Dean?" John asked after Tom closed the phone, the other hunter sitting across from him.

"Out doing some work on Elsa Laurals' house."

"Anna and Jeff's mom? What'd she con Dean into doing?" John knew just as well as most that Elsa wasn't the helpless old woman she sometimes claimed to be. Hell, she was more alive than people half her age— but that didn't stop her from using her years of experience to get the nice local boys to do the heavy work around the house. She paid Dean well though, the kids had more apple pies than a bakery in the freezer.

"Some roof work, I think she offered him a bit of money this time."

John just nodded— he knew the people of Valley took pity on his kids. He hated it, he'd raised his sons to be able to look after themselves no matter what. Elsa knew this more than most— the old woman having lived through tumultuous times. The jobs she had Dean do weren't all that backbreaking, but it gave her an excuse to give the teen some much needed money and more food than he could handle.

"What about Sam and Evelyn?"

Tom just sighed, rolling his eyes as he took a swig of beer. "The way Kerri describes it they're waging world war three on each other. Seriously, for two kids that can't wait to see each other, they sure do have issues together."

John just shook his head, that was the understatement of the year. He knew exactly why Sam and Evelyn butted heads more than Kerri and Dean did. Kerri and Dean still remembered life before hunting, still remembered their mothers— Sam and Evelyn were too little to have those memories remain. No, as long as the little kids knew, they were hunters, and more importantly, each other's presence was a constant. For Kerri and Dean, their friendship was more of a gift, a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

"So they're all fine?" John asked, needing to hear the words, the black dog hunt still at the forefront of his mind. He could still feel his son's blood running over his hands, could still remember the heavy weight of the teen in his arms as he ran to the hospital, Dean's screams echoing in his nightmares. It was close, too close, and the fear born of that night was something John couldn't shake.

"Yeah, John, they're all good." Tom answered somberly, the same fears running through his mind. Yes they were hunters, but they were also fathers.

"You find anything more at the library?" John asked, needing to change the subject.

"Nothing we didn't already know. The disappearances seem to be happening every five to ten years. The only real trigger I can find is building, maybe demolition. It still looks like a curse to me, John."

"But we took care of that, we even asked some of the local tribes."

"I just don't know. Think we should give Kerri and Dean a crack at it?"

"I'm pretty sure they're already all over it. I've got something at least," John sighed, holding up a small sheet of paper. "One of the hikers was local, I got her husband's name."

"You really think that's gonna help? We've interviewed over a dozen people so far, nothing out of the ordinary. And there's not a single witness to the actual attack. Just a scream and nothing."

"You wanna go up there again, then?"

"Not really, but I don't know what choice we have. We'll just be cautious."

"Damn it, I wish Bobby was around for this." John mumbled, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"It's not that. It's just—."

"I know, the kids. We'll be fine, John, we know what's out there, we can be prepared."

"That's just it, we don't know what's out there."

"Well, we know it isn't a bear, that's a start."

John had to smile, "Did you actually read the label on the bear mace Dean put in my pack? You have to stand eight feet away or less. I really don't think spraying it in the face is gonna be much of a help at that point."

Tom laughed, taking another swig of beer. "That kid is afraid of bears."

"He had that stupid set up around the tents at Yellowstone. The only thing he managed to catch was me."

"Monsters and demons, the kid's got no fear— bears and rats, he's like a little chicken."

John just smiled, pulling a few more beers out of the fridge, his mind drifting to better times, safer times. Their trip to Yellowstone had started out as a good idea— but four very quirky and energetic kids made it a weekend John knew he'd never forget. And that was just fine with him, since it was one of the best moments of the last eleven years of his life.

66666666666

Kerri leaned her elbows on the table, rubbing the sides of her head. She was gonna start shooting soon, she just knew it. She could hear Evelyn and Sam up on the second floor, their voices so loud they sounded like they were on the other side of the table. Her patience was really, really running thin. Dean was down in town, helping Elsa out around the house, leaving Kerri home alone to man the fort. And boy, was he gonna pay for it. He told her they needed the money and food Elsa would undoubtedly give him, but Elsa would give him that just for waking up in the morning. No, she knew the real reason Dean was currently working on a roof, and that reason was about to get grounded for the foreseeable future. Weren't kids supposed to grow out of the 'he touched me, she's looking at me' phase?

She was just about to go upstairs and throttle them when the phone rang. "You guys' are lucky this time." she yelled up the stairs. "Yeah?" she asked curtly, picking up the phone.

_"Kerri?"_

"Oh, hey, Dad."

_"How's everything?"_

"How's everything?" Kerri began, taking a deep breath. She needed to let off some steam or she was going to explode. "It's like the Apocalypse meets Doomsday here. I swear if Ev and Sam don't manage to kill each other, I might just have to. Give me a sec, I'll get them down here so you can talk to them."

_"I'm not getting in the middle of it, Ker, they're twelve, not two."_

"Yeah well, from where I'm standing that ten years doesn't seem to make a bit of difference."

_"Kerri—."_

"No, Dad, I'm tired of being the demolition twins' babysitter. I can't take it anymore, Dad, they're like little possessed trolls. You gotta do something, say something. They're gonna end up knocking the house down."

_"Kerri—."_ Her father's sharp voice made her stop her tirade— momentarily.

"What?"

_"Is everyone still alive?"_

"At this moment in time, yes, but I can't guarantee that for long."

_"All their limbs still attached?"_

"Yeah, unless that's what all the screaming' about."

She heard her father let out an annoyed sigh. Good, at least someone was sharing in her misery. _"No one sick or missing?"_

"No. Though I think Dean might be AWOL."

_"Then I'm not getting involved."_

"Then why'd you bother calling me? I'm a little busy here trying to stave off preteen Armageddon."

_"I called because I wanted to tell you we'll be another few weeks at least."_

"Another few weeks?" Kerri's heart sank, she was getting tired of being a parent. "But you've been gone over a month already. And school's gonna start in another two weeks, what am I supposed to do about Ev and Sam's stuff?"

_"Yes, Kerri, I understand, that's why I'm gonna send you a credit card."_

Kerri was momentarily speechless. Telling her where the credit card was, was like her dad handing over the Holy Grail. "Seriously?"

_"It's for emergencies, Kerri Anne."_

'Kerri Anne' that couldn't be good. It meant the two hunters were gonna be gone a lot longer than planned and this was a last resort. She didn't think her dad would have trusted her with a credit card. "I know what an emergency is, Dad."

_"You do, do you? Repeat it for me then."_

Kerri rolled her eyes, her dad really didn't trust her with a credit card. "It's when we're either starving to death or need certain supplies to keep living. I'm not a little kid, you know."

_"Where's Dean anyway?"_ Tom asked a moment later, obviously happy with Kerri's answer. _"He better not be—."_ Or, he was checking to see if the other sixteen year old was up to no good.

"He's at Elsa's house, working on some stuff. But I'm betting it's just his excuse for getting away from the demon spawn that are Sam and Ev."

_"Alright, stay safe, and remember, Ker, emergencies."_

"Yes, Dad. You and John be safe, too."

Kerri hung up the phone, resting her forehead on the table with an very dramatic sigh. She was tired. Her father had already been gone for over a month, and the fact that he was now giving her a credit card meant he didn't think he'd be around in time for the school year. They still had a good amount of food and money to spare, the Matthews and Laurals families keeping a close eyes on the kids— but they needed things like book-bags and clothes.

Kerri had to smile, her dad and John thought they were secretive, thought no one knew there were four children left alone on the outskirts of town, but Elsa Laurals and her family new better. Instead of calling CPS on them, though, they just took it as an opportunity to pamper the kids, something John and Tom never normally allowed. Kerri looked up when she heard the back door open.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, eyeing Kerri and the phone suspiciously.

"You want me to start with the brunette devils upstairs or my dad's latest phone call."

"What'd Tom say?" Worry laced his words, his eyes hard as he sat in the chair. Kerri let out a sigh, he was probably thinking one of them was dismembered.

"They're fine, but Dad says they'll be another few weeks at least."

"Few weeks? It's been over a month already."

"I know, this thing's just stumping them. I was looking over papers, too. It's the same thing they went after in 1990."

"The summer with the Watcher?"

"Bingo."

"That's not ominous at all. I thought they took care of it, a Native American thing."

"Apparently not."

"Do they have any clue?"

"From my dad's voice, no. He gave me his credit card, Dean."

Dean leaned back in the chair, coming to the same sad conclusion Kerri had. "They're not gonna be back in time for school."

"At this point I'm hoping they come home for christmas."

"Don't say that, Ker."

"Sam and Ev won't be happy."

"Ev won't be happy. I'm afraid Sammy might be on cloud nine. You should see his face when I drop him off at that damn summer class."

"I'm sure he misses your dad."

"Whatever. Where are Sam and Ev anyway?"

"Upstairs killing each other from what I can tell. It sounded like an atomic bomb went off up there."

"And you didn't check?"

"I didn't wanna get in the middle of it again. Last time I checked I had to stand between them while they tried to knock each other out."

"You think something's wrong with them?"

"No, I think it's sibling rivalry run amok."

"They're not siblings."

"Alright, then super close friend rivalry run amok."

"We never fought."

Kerri raised her eyebrows, staring at Dean like he'd just grown a second head— was he kidding. "You cut off all my hair."

"For the hundredth time that was an accident. Besides, you got me stuck in a tree."

"Well if you didn't up and fall off the path you wouldn't have had that problem."

"You told me there was a bear."

"I said bears live in the woods. Not that one was breathing down your neck. And if we're gonna play the blame game, who's the one that couldn't keep their mouth shut about Breakers."

"I can't lie to my dad."

"Before we even went in I asked you if that was gonna be an issue and you said no. Your dad didn't even say anything before you blabbed."

Before Dean could answer a shape flew past the kitchen window, a sickening thud resonating as whatever it was hit the ground. "Did one of them just jump out the window?"

"Either that or they threw each other out." Kerri answered, following Dean to the basement stairs. They made it to the back of the house a few seconds later, Sam running around from the side, obviously having exited the house through the hidden steps in Evelyn's room.

"I told you to knock it off, Evelyn." Sam yelled when another bag was thrown from the window. "You're gonna break something."

"Tough." Evelyn leaned out the upstairs window, pelting Sam with his own pair of sneakers.

"Yo!" Dean shouted, making the younger kids freeze. "What the hell are you two doing?"

"Sam has to leave." Evelyn stated mater of factly.

"Why?"

"Cause he told everyone in town that I like Derek Tate."

Dean rolled his eyes, looking back at Kerri for some form of support. "Don't look at me, I'm not getting involved."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Evelyn, Sam's staying here, help him get his stuff back inside."

"It's my house, not his."

"Well, at the moment, I'm in charge, and I say get the stuff back inside."

"It's not your house either." Evelyn crossed her arms, staring down at Dean.

"Kerri."

"When's Dad coming home?" Evelyn moaned, obviously knowing Kerri was going to take Dean's side.

"Later," Dean answered, "What's with you two, you've been fighting for the last three days."

"Evelyn keeps bossing me around."

"I am older." Evelyn called back from her window.

"By six months." Sam shouted up at her, the argument starting again.

"Dean's only two months older than Kerri and he's allowed to boss her around."

"He is not." Kerri shot back, who the hell started that rumor?

"Ker, not really the time." Dean turned to her, waving her off. But Kerri just crossed her arms.

"You told them you were allowed to boss me around."

"Are we really gonna get into this now? Your sister's trying to evict my brother, I think we have more important issues at the moment."

"How much later is later?" Sam asked, eyes Dean quizzically.

"What?"

"You said Dad would be back later, how much later?"

"I don't know, later."

"Later like later tonight, or later like later next month?"

"Door number two." Dean sighed, knowing the younger kids were gonna find out sooner or later.

"Are you serious?" Evelyn moaned, her daily fight with Sam seemingly forgotten. "What about school?"

"We'll get you ready for school."

"Do you even know when it is?" Sam shot back, the issue of school still a sour subject.

"Yes, smart ass, I know when it is. Two weeks. You'll be ready for it."

"Do you have any idea when they'll be home?" Evelyn asked quietly, and Kerri knew the little girl wasn't gonna like the answer.

"No, Ev, I'm sorry. They're fine, though, it's just taking them a while." Dean sighed, his shoulders dropping a bit— childhood slipping even further away.

"A few months is way longer than 'a while'."

"Ev, I can't do anything about it. It just is what it is."

"Yeah, yeah." Evelyn sighed, disappearing back into the house.

"I'll go talk to her." Sam offered, he too more somber than before.

"You two were just fighting like Godzilla and Mothra."

"Now who's over reacting, Dean."

"I swear they're possessed."

"I've been trying to tell you that for the last two weeks." Kerri answered, watching Sam disappear up the back steps before helping Dean collect the younger boy's things.

"I mean, seriously. They were gonna rip each other's heads off and now they're best friends."

"Have you not been paying attention the last ten years? They're always like that."

"Why?"

"Cause they're two kids the same age who've grown up together. You don't have to be related to suffer from sibling rivalry."

"Sure thing, Dr. Kerri."

"Hey, I'm the one with the brains, gotta use them."

"That make me the one with the looks?" Dean smirked, leading the way up the back steps.

"Brawn, Dean, not looks."

"Ha ha, aren't you funny. Hey, what do you think about a trip?" Dean asked, dropping Sam's bags on the kitchen table.

"A trip to where?"

"Camping, that was fun last time."

"Near disastrous would be the term I'd use."

"Come on, Kerri, it wasn't that bad. Besides, it'll get Sam and Ev away from the house, let them focus on something other than our dads."

"Like pushing each other into the geysers?"

"Ker, I know you want to." Dean smiled that sly smile of his, punching her in the arm as she considered the idea.

"Dean."

"It'll be fun, Ker. Just us kids, no hunting, no stupid training hikes. And we'll bring food instead of trying to catch our own."

"Their corner store's gonna go bankrupt if we do that."

"Just think, Ker. You, me, Sam, Evelyn, completely free. No one looking over our shoulders, no one checking to see if our dads are here. Just us."

"The last time it was 'just us' a spirit tried to kill us."

"Hey," Dean began, standing up straighter, his hands on Kerri's shoulders. Kerri knew he still had nightmares about the Watcher as well. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, I promise."

"What if an invisible killer bear comes after us again?"

Dean smiled, and Kerri couldn't help but feel comforted by it. When she was with Dean, she felt like she was in a bubble, the world around her nothing but a distant memory compared to her world with Dean. "So you'll come."

"Of course, I like you too much to leave you alone with Sam and Evelyn."

"Ah, I alway knew you had my back."

"You convinced me, now you gotta go pitch the idea to the wonder twins upstairs."


	9. Chapter 9

_Yes, I know. It's been a LONG time since I updated this. Over a month!! I'm so sorry. I've been insanely busy this last month and it isnt going to be letting up anytime soon. I finally got a little time to write. I was going to make all of the Yellowstone trip in one chapter but it was getting really, really long. I will hopefully have another chapter up at some point this week. I've also got another chapter of 'Out of sight' coming and a small stand alone. Thank you all for your patients and your reviews :) enjoy. _

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 9

Convincing the two younger children had been much easier than Dean thought. Once he assured Sam they'd wait until his summer class was over, the younger boy had let any other qualms rest. It was a little unnerving in all honesty, Sam wasn't the kind of kid who agreed to things easily— well, things which weren't his idea that is. Evelyn, she just seemed to be going through the motions. Normally the little girl did her own thing, kept to herself— and she was often very reluctant to leave her home. Dean could understand. The Harrison's house was huge, beyond huge, and full of a lot of forgotten rooms and lost stairwells— leaving hiding placed Dean knew he might never find. And leaving Evelyn, the most solitary of the children, to her own devices.

The teen felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he packed the car. Everything seemed brighter, more alive— safer. It was as close to normal as Dean had been in a very long time. He'd known what his father hunted since he was five, he'd watched after his brother without fail from the same age. He'd followed each and every order his father gave him, knowing the consequences of letting his guard down. He'd grown into a hunter. But at that moment, on that day, he wasn't a hunter.

He was going to Yellowstone where there were no demons, no Wendigos, no monsters— he and Kerri had spent the previous three days making sure of it. It would just be the four of them, no arguing fathers, no 'hunting exercises', no catching your own food. No orders. Just the four of them— being kids. Dean let out a long sigh, he wasn't sure how many days like this he'd have. Hell, each time he left Valley he wasn't sure when he'd be coming back. Normally, it was every four to five months, sometimes sooner, but never later. Now though, Dean was afraid their visits would dwindle down to one a year, if that. They'd already had a falling out with Bobby, and he was terrified the same thing would happen with Tom. His Dad just had a way with people.

Dean shook himself, he couldn't let his mind wander to such dark places. He didn't know what the future held, no one did, and he had to focus on the here and now. At that moment he was in Valley, and for the next few weeks at least he would remain there. In total, he and Sam had already spend four months in Valley, and there was no end to the trip in sight. Dad and Tom were still in the dark about what they were hunting, and from the sound of their most recent phone call, they would stay in Maine for a while longer.

"We ready?" Kerri asked, making Dean turn from the trunk of the car. He'd been standing there for a few minutes, lost in his thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah we just gotta get some food and we'll be all set."

"Are you ok, Dean?" Kerri asked, eyeing him suspiciously. She could always tell when something was bothering him, and while Dean drew strength from the connection he shared with the redhead, it was annoying how well she knew him.

"I'm fine." Dean smirked, whistling toward the house where he knew Sam and Evelyn were taking their sweet time.

"You'd tell me if you weren't right?"

"Of course I would."

"We're not dogs, you know." Evelyn growled, coming down the basement stairs with two sleeping bags in her hands, Sam following behind her with another set.

"Did I say you were?" Dean answered innocently.

"No, but last I checked you didn't whistle at people to get them to do your bidding."

"Remember, Dean, school starts in just over a week." Sam broke in, throwing the sleeping bags into the trunk.

"I know."

"Which means we can't be gone longer than a few days."

"I'm not an idiot. I planned on five days."

"Three."

"This isn't a negotiation."

"Dean, I don't wanna have to rush back to school."

"School's in nine days, you'll have plenty of time." Dean didn't want to think about school, didn't want to think about being in the house alone. Their dads were most likely going to be gone until the late fall, and Kerri, Sam and Evelyn were still in school— leaving Dean all alone. Not only was this trip freedom to the young man, it was also one of the last times he'd be with those he cared about with nothing else getting in the way.

"Are we heading into town first?" Evelyn pipped up, pulling open the back passenger side door.

"Yeah, why?"

"I wanna get a puzzle book or something."

"Hiking and camping isn't going to be enough for you?"

"No. Lest you forget, I'm not much of an outside person."

"Believe me, I haven't forgotten that." Dean rolled his eyes, climbing into the driver's seat.

As much as he was looking forward to their little side trip, there was one glaring hurtle still standing in their way— they needed supplies. Usually they drove past Valley and into Cody when they needed to shop, buying most of what they needed in bulk. It made sense, the house was always stocked for anything, and usually 'anything' is what happened. Hunters came by unexpected, people got hurt, storms blanket the area— there were lots of reasons to have a good 'stock pile'. But when they needed a few odds and ends, then they were stuck with only one alternative— Sadie Miller's store.

Dean hated the place with a passion, he had ever since the first day he set foot in it. Normally, Tom did the shopping there. The older man knew the reaction Kerri would get when she went in and, while he insisted she get used to it when the redhead was a kid, Tom had eventually relented, knowing Sadie would never accept Kerri as a human being. Tom said it was because Sadie was superstitious, Dean knew it was because the old woman was a bitch.

Tom had told Dean of Kerri's strange 'recovery' when she was a little girl. The redhead had contracted meningitis as a toddler and her parents had been told by every doctor they knew Kerri would die. Somehow the little girl pulled through, but was left blinded by the high fevers which accompanied the illness. Enter Tom, who'd been a hunter long before his wife had died. He knew what was out there, knew there was a way to save his little girl, and apparently, he'd found it. Tom had never told Dean exactly what he'd done to fix Kerri, he just knew they took a blind girl away from Valley and brought her back when she could see again— which was too much for Sadie Miller to absorb.

Kerri, she knew none of this, Tom having sworn Dean to secrecy a long time ago. As far as the redhead knew, Sadie hated her for no reason other than to hate her, and that didn't seem to bother Kerri one bit. Dean knew she had the right to know, knew it was her life everyone was messing with— but really, it was in the past, what harm could the secret do now?

The short drive into town was an uneventful one. Everyone was involved in their own worlds. Sam and Evelyn were talking quietly in the backseat, they'd thankfully stopped fighting a few days beforehand. Kerri was staring out the passenger window, her eyes locked on the distant horizon, mind who knew where. She had that lost look a lot lately. Dean didn't know what it was that had changed with the other teen, but he knew something was different.

"Do you have a list of what we need?" Dean asked, wanting to have a game plan before they went into Sadie's store. His goal was to spend as little time there as humanly possible.

"Yeah. We'll be in and out in a flash." Kerri answered, finally turning back from the window.

"Good. Maybe Sadie won't even realize we're there."

"No such luck, she's got radar or something. It's like she can smell me coming." Kerri grumbled, her dislike of the store not a secret.

"You telling me you need a shower or something?"

"Ha ha." Kerri smiled as they pulled into the parking lot, Dean's goal accomplished.

He hated how the Miller family made Kerri feel, hated how the town she called home treated her. Kerri was a good person, someone very special to him, she didn't deserve to be treated like some kind of stain. Dean felt his anger spike, the teen trying to push it down as he pulled open the door of the store, Kerri, Sam and Evelyn entering in front of him.

Dean wasn't sure if he was happy or worried when he found the shop nearly empty. He didn't like crowded places, too many people to keep track of, too many possible enemies. But when one of your enemies was Sadie Miller, an empty shop was just as worrisome as a crowded one.

"You sure you're ok? You can wait in the car." Dean asked, resting his hand on Kerri's shoulder as they wandered the store.

"I'm fine. Besides, she doesn't like you either."

"Everyone likes me."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Dean smirked, taking a can from one of the shelves. He nearly dropped it when Sadie's shrill voice shot across the store. "I'm watching you Dean Winchester!"

"Watching me do what, shop?" Dean shot back incredulously, thinking maybe they should have paid the extra money and bought their supplies at Yellowstone's store.

"Don't think I don't have your number." Sadie appeared around one of the shelves, her beady eyes studying the two sixteen year olds. "And where are your little partners in crime?"

"Sneaking into the safe."

Sadie cursed, running around to the front of the store as fast as her tired legs would allow. Dean just smiled, picking up a few more cans of soup and putting them in the basket Kerri was carrying.

"That was mean." She reprimanded, though she was smiling. "And it won't keep her away for long."

"Are you kidding? She's probably sitting on top of the safe." Dean groused, turning the corner to find a very disgruntled looking Sam. "What's wrong?"

"Is there some reason why Sadie Miller just tried to frisk me?"

"Maybe she's finally seen past that innocent little boy exterior."

"What did you say to her?"

"What makes you think I said anything."

"Cause I unfortunately know you." Sam grumbled, putting a few boxes of cereal into his basket.

"And you're all the richer for it, little Sammy." Dean ruffled the younger boy's hair as he walked past him.

"It's Sam." Sam smacked his brother's shoulder before smoothing out his hair. "Freaking jerk."

"Where's Evelyn?" Kerri asked, shifting her basket from one hand to the other.

"At the magazine rack." Sam answered before turning back to the shelves.

"Sadie frisk her, too?"

"No, remember Sadie likes her for some weird reason."

"Which means we haven't corrupted her yet." Dean smirked, tossing a pack of napkins into Sam's basket.

"Corrupted who?" Evelyn appeared around the corner, several magazine and books in her arms.

"You."

"I'm incorruptible, remember. I'm an angel."

Dean tried to cover his laugh with a cough, Evelyn was far from an angel. "Sure, kid."

"You're just jealous of my charm." Evelyn smiled, dumping her magazines into Sam's basket.

"Can't you carry your own stuff." Sam mumbled, shifting his basket so he was holding it with both hands.

"No." Evelyn answered back innocently.

"Anything else we need?" Kerri broke in, obviously knowing an argument was mere moments away. The last thing they needed was Evelyn and Sam having a blowout in the middle of Sadie's store.

"No, I think we're good." Dean lead the four of them up to the front of the store where, sure enough, Sadie Miller was standing guard by the safe. Dean just smiled, he loved himself sometimes.

The children unloaded their groceries, all four staring at Sadie, who refused to move. "Is there a problem?" Dean began. He just wanted to get this over with and get going. The small general store was the last hurtle before their trip, the last road block in what might be the last normal week of Dean's life.

"We don't run tabs here." Sadie spat, crossing her arms and refusing to ring up their purchases.

"We weren't planning on running a tab." Dean shop back, taking the credit card from Kerri and throwing it on the counter.

Sadie eyed the four of the suspiciously before taking the card, studying it like it was a lost treasure. She turned it over, her beady eyes taking in every inch of it, obviously trying to decide it if was real. "You do know I'm not going to be able to let this incident slide."

"What incident?" Dean began, his anger building as he stood there. It was like Sadie knew he was trying to get out of there, like she knew he was really looking forward to something.

"A stolen credit card."

"It isn't stolen, it's my Dad's." Kerri spoke slowly, enunciating each word as though she was trying to get a small child to understand her. Sadie, of course, didn't appreciate it.

"And _you_ have permission to use it?"

"_Yes."_

"You do know I'm going to have to confirm this." Sadie shot back smugly, thinking she'd caught the kids red-handed. Dean just shook his head, this woman was really in a world of her own.

"Go ahead, it's your long distance bill."

Sadie gave the four another cold look before turning her back, phone in hand, safe in eye shot. Dean just leaned against the table, his back to the old woman— he just wanted to get this show on the road. Hell, at that point he was seriously contemplating leaving the stuff on the counter and shopping somewhere else. Unfortunately, Sadie Miller still had the credit card and as much as Dean hated to admit it, he was seriously low on cash.

"Hello, Tom." Sadie's voice broke through Dean's momentary reprieve. "Yes, I have an _issue_ I believe you need to be aware of."

God, Dean thought, where were the wendigos when you needed them?

"The kids are here and they have a stolen credit card— who's? It's your card— oh, are you sure?— But, Tom— Yes— yes, enjoy the rest of your trip." Sadie hung up the phone slowly, her smug expression gone. It was all Dean could do not to say 'I told you so'. "Well, it seems as though everything's in order." Sadie began after a moment, trying to save face. But Dean just wanted to get out of there.

Ten very slow minutes later, Sadie had their purchases run in and credit card in hand. She seemed to take great pleasure in seeing how long it could take to ring in their things. Dean started tapping on the counter, staring down Sadie as she slowly scanned the credit card.

"Are you trying to melt her with your mind or something?" Kerri whispered, breaking Dean of his death glare.

"One could only hope."

"Would you just calm down before you piss her off."

"Why?"

"Why?" Kerri nearly growled, her voice dropping again so Dean could barely hear it. "Because she's probably figured out our dads haven't been home in a while. And last I checked, we're still minors. Breakers is still an open subject, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah." Dean grumbled, though he did stand down immediately. He knew what Kerri was talking about. It was sheer luck they hadn't been busted for sneaking into Breaker's underage. Add to it the fact that four underage children where living at home, and they needed to tread lightly.

After a few more minutes of silence Sadie handed over the card. Dean and Sam grabbed the bags while Kerri scribbled her name on the receipt, all four wanting to get out of there before something happened. They were balancing on a tightrope with the Miller family and with authorities, and they just wanted to get back to their little world. What they did was dangerous, far more dangerous than many people believed the world could be. But to Dean, the hunting world was far safer than the world everyone considered 'normal'.

Dean threw their bags in the trunk with the rest of their gear, the warm, late summer sun warming him as he stood in the dirt parking lot. In that moment, life was simple. No one was watching every move he made, no one was trying to train him, to turn everything into some kind of learning experience. It was just the four of them, just being kids, and to Dean, it was perfection. The drive was quiet, Evelyn and Sam each had a book, while Kerri was staring out the passenger side window, her long red hair blowing in the wind from the open window.

Dean watched her as she stared out over the horizon, knowing her mind was somewhere else entirely. The redhead had the ability to get completely lost in her own mind. He supposed it was a defense mechanism, some way to close out the world around her, to erase the fear of the everyday. He wished he could see what it was she did, wished he could disappear into a safe world. But he knew his mind wasn't a 'safe place'. His mind was full of loss, full of failure, full of the memories of what could have been. It wasn't a place he stayed in for too long. No, he was more comfortable in the moment, in the here and now— because it was the only time he felt in control.

After a few hours of peaceful driving they came up to the gate to the Yellowstone camp ground. They had chosen to go 'front-country' hunting this time, staying in the more tourist friendly campgrounds near the main roads. They could still be secluded, some of the campsites still set far apart, but it wasn't the backcountry camping they'd done with their fathers the last time. Last time they were here it was more like survival training than camping.

He pulled the Impala to a stop, the teen sitting in the car for a few minutes, relishing the silence, the only sound the ticking of the cooling engine. In that moment, life couldn't have been more perfect for Dean Winchester. He was with his brother and two best friends, completely father free, doing whatever he pleased.

"We're staying here?" Evelyn's voice broke Dean from his reprieve. The brunette was still sitting in the backseat, Kerri and Sam having gone for their gear. She was looking out the window, almost as though she was expecting something other than trees and dirt.

"Where else would we stay?"

"But the showers and bathroom are all the way over there." Evelyn pointed off to the bottom of the hill they'd just driven up. Dean knew full well the amenities were down next to the general store and pools. But that wasn't camping.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, I have to walk all the way down there."

"Oh, poor you." Dean smirked, climbing from the car. In nothing else, Evelyn was definitely an indoor girl.

"Seen any bears?" Kerri asked, a cheshire grin plastered across her face.

Dean just shot her a look, pulling one of the tents from the trunk, making sure no one was nearby. He wasn't naive, he knew something could be waiting to attack them at any moment. "Aren't you funny." Dean shot back.

"Did you bring the mace?"

"Anyone ever told you it isn't wise to pick on the guy with the car keys."

"Spoil sport."

"Can we just get the tents set up?" Sam shot back, leaning against the side of the car, his nose still buried in a book.

"You're gonna go to bed now?"

"No, but I'd rather sit in a tent then on the muddy ground."

Dean took a deep breath, throwing the second tent to the ground with more force than was probably necessary. This was camping, not sitting in a tent like it was the house. "Sammy, drop the book, Evelyn out of the car. Kerri—."

"I'm not doing anything wrong."

"Kerri, back me up here. This is camping, this is not laziness out in the woods. You two gotta find something to do that isn't reading or laying around the tent with a puzzle book. There's rental bikes, a pool, geysers, trails. Hell, you're in Yellowstone."

"What if we wanna lay around the tent?" Sam shot back, his stance letting Dean know the twelve year old was ready to pick a fight.

"Tough."

"This was your idea. I didn't even want to come."

"Then why did you?"

"Cause I knew you'd make me. You're just like Dad. 'This is what we're doing so shut up and deal'." Sam mimicked his father's voice.

The fight suddenly left Dean. Moments before, he'd been on cloud nine, but Sam's sour attitude completely destroyed that. "You know what, fine. Sit around the tent." Dean turned, pulling a gun from the trunk and tucking it in his waistband before turning in the direction on the store.

"Who's gonna set up the tent?" Sam and Evelyn both called after him.

"Set it up yourself." Dean shot back, not even turning. Camping was suddenly the last thing the teenager wanted to do.

"Hey." Kerri's voice broke through the silence, the redhead running to catch up to him. "Wait."

"No."

"Dean—."

"Go back to the kids."

"They're fine."

"Ker, I don't want them to be outside alone."

"They're not outside, they're sitting in the Impala."

"Fine."

"Care to tell me what's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me."

"You're a terrible liar."

"I thought this would be fun."

"It will be."

"Yeah right. You heard Sammy."

"He's an hormonal teenager, don't let him bother you."

"How can I not?" Dean turned, making Kerri stop in her tracks. "How can I not let it bother me? I thought he'd like this, I thought he'd have fun, like getting away from the house."

"He will. He's just been in the car for a while and needs to eat. Once he's got some sugar in him he'll be fine."

"He doesn't need me anymore, Kerri."

"Huh? Of course he does."

"No, he doesn't. He used to follow me everywhere, used to think everything I said was a good idea. He used to look up to me."

"He still does. But he's not a little kid anymore. He's not gonna adore you like he did when he was seven."

"Why not?"

"Because he's growing up. That's just what happens."

"He doesn't know what I've been through for him." Dean had given up his childhood to care for his baby brother, to make sure Sammy never wanted for anything— to make sure he was never afraid. And Sam didn't seem to get that.

"No, he doesn't. But that's because no one ever told him."

"He'd just turn it into some tirade about how Dad screwed everything up."

"Probably. Dean, Sam appreciates what you've done for him, what you've given up, even if he doesn't show it. When you were hurt after the black dog he was right there with me when John called. And before that, it was like he knew something was wrong. He was terrified when you were gone. So yeah, he might not act like he did when he was little, but that doesn't me he doesn't care."

"I just wish everything could stay the same." Dean breathed, wishing for not the first time that they were little kids again. Back then, everything was easier.

"You're not the only one. Sam'll come around."

"Lazy Evelyn isn't really helping the matter."

"When has that girl ever helped the matter? She's the most stubborn person I know and that's saying something."

Dean smiled, turning back to the trail which led to the store and other campsite amenities. It was getting late and they still had a few days to explore. Right now, he only had one thing to do before heading back to set up camp. "Good thing you followed me."

"Why?"

"I was coming down to get bikes, but I didn't really think about getting all four back."

"See, I knew you kept me around for a reason."

"Yeah, to read my mind, that must be it."

The pair walked the rest of the way to the general store in amiable silence both relishing the simplicity of each other's presence. It was rare, and something Dean was very afraid of losing. Somehow Kerri Harrison had managed to worm her way through all his defenses, to get close to him— closer than he'd ever realized. It wasn't until that summer, wasn't until the reality had set in that he was now a full time hunter, that he noticed how close she had become. Dean shook his head, pushing the dark thoughts from his mind. The Harrisons were still there, still with him, and he had no reason to believe that would ever change. Sure his dad and Tom had their arguments, but he wouldn't really cut such a valuable hunting partner out of the picture, right?

Dean and Kerri picked out four of the better rental bikes, knowing they were going to be putting them through a lot over the next few days. The older two had taken up mountain biking a few years beforehand and while Sam insisted bikes were for transportation only, and Evelyn vowed they had no good purpose at all, Dean still held out hope the younger pair would pick up the sport. After making their purchases, Dean a little nervous leaving his fake ID behind, they made their way back up the hill. He and Kerri had both told park services they were eighteen, since four 'children' camping alone was going to bring them a lot of unwanted attention. Sure his dad would say it was an unnecessary risk, but Dad hadn't been cooped up in the house with Sam and Evelyn. This was a very necessary risk.

Dean trudged along, his tired body not looking forward to setting up the entire camp while having Sam and Evelyn moan and groan about nature's lack of modern technology. He was stopped in his tracks a moment later when he rounded a turn in the dirt path.

"Wow." Kerri breathed beside him, obviously as stunned as he was by the turn of events. Sam and Evelyn had not only managed to pull themselves from the car, they'd set up the entire camp as well, complete with fire pit. "We need to guilt trip them more often."

"You're telling me." Dean smirked, resting the bikes against a nearby tree. Through all his amazement, though, one thing was glaringly obvious. "Where are they?"

Kerri looked around, only then noticing Sam and Evelyn weren't actually in the camp they'd set up. "You think they're in one of the tents?"

"No, too quiet. You don't think something got them?"

"You mean something came, took Sam and Ev, then set up camp to throw us off?"

"I'm being serious."

"Maybe they went for firewood, or to the bathroom."

"We would've seen them on the trail." Dean breathed, instantly alert. He never should have left the younger kids alone. Rule number one in the John Winchester handbook "Look out for Sammy." And once again, Dean had let his own emotions get in the way of that.

"I'm sure they're fine, Dean."

Mere moment before real panic set in, Evelyn came stumbling out woods. "I hate camping, have I told you that?"

Dean smiled at the younger girl, the weight which had been gripping his heart seconds before hand dissipating when Sam showed up behind Evelyn, he too holding an armload of wood. "I thought we brought wood with us?"

"We did, Sam and I just went to get some kindling and stuff." Evelyn grumbled, throwing down her load before whipping at the sleeves of her jacket, as if trying to shrug nature away. "Where'd the bikes come from?"

"Kerri and I rented them. We figured mountain biking would be fun."

"Yeah, fun."

"Thanks for setting up camp, by the way."

"Yeah well, it wasn't that hard." Sam began, suddenly incredibly interested in building the fire. Dean knew it was as close to an apology as he was going to get and took it. This was the last time the four of them would be together before school started, and Dean was going to make the best of it.

"So," Evelyn began a moment later, sitting on a nearby log. "We set up the camp, where's dinner?"

"I'll get the fire going." Dean smiled, glad the younger kids were at least giving camping a try.

"You're not gonna make me catch dinner, are you?" Evelyn asked wearily.

"Not unless you know where hot dogs like to nest."

"Are you gonna try cooking the beans in the can this time?" Evelyn smiled, and Dean knew exactly what the young girl meant. It had been one of the better memories from their last time camping, and had resulted in a laughing fit which had gotten all four grounded.

"No, that was Dad and Tom's bright idea. Kerri and I actually brought pots and pans."

Evelyn smiled at Dean before helping Kerri get the coolers out of the trunk. Dean still wondered if their fathers had been watching westerns before they went camping the last time. The pair had tried to cook the beans while still in the can, whether it was to save from washing extra dished Dean would never know— but the outcome was well worth the mystery. Exploding cans of beans were still a source of humor even years later.

Thirty minutes later the four were all happily roasting hotdogs over the open fire, beans roasting by the side, sodas out. It was just as perfect as Dean thought it would be. Just like Kerri had said, Sam was much happier once he'd been fed, and the four were now all joking with each other, the atmosphere much lighter than it had been over the past few days. It was like a weight had been lifted off of all of them, the four finally kids. Yeah Dean was still checking the perimeter every few minutes, his training impossible to forget. But no one was looking down on him, no one was watching his every move, judging him— in was refreshing.

Day slowly turned into night, the kids giving up their hotdogs and sodas for hot chocolate and smores. Sure the sugar overload would keep them awake most of the night, but Dean didn't care. At that moment they were living their lives— he was living his life— and it was all he could ask for. Dean laughed and told stories along with the rest of them, relaxing back against one of the logs they'd surrounded their campfire with. He was happy to just listen to the other three, watching as the tip of the stick he'd been using to roast marshmallows burned in the fire.

His mind drifted as he stared into the fire, wondering what could have been— if only. Life was hard, he would never deny that. He had to grow up faster than anyone should, had responsibilities no sixteen year old should have. Despite it all, though, he held onto the simpler things in life, lived for the day instead of for the future. He was a hunter, the future wasn't a guarantee. If there was one thing Dean Winchester knew it was how quickly life could be taken away.

"You still with me?"

"Huh?" Dean looked up from the fire, surprised when he realized his eyes were burning and dried out. "Where are Sam and Ev?"

"They went to bed a little bit ago. You zoned out for a while." Kerri's voice was soft, making Dean turn toward her. He relished her friendship, needed the strength she offered him more than Kerri would ever know.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About anything in specific."

"No, just thinking. This was a good idea, wasn't it."

"Yeah, it was." Kerri breathed out, laying down beside Dean, her head resting on the log he was leaning against. Dean slid down to the ground to match her, the teenagers staring up at the endless sky. At that moment Dean felt small, felt like just another person under the stars, and he was fine with that. "And we can't get glued inside my room this time."

Dean laughed, he couldn't he'd nearly forgotten that. It had been a few years beforehand, his Dad and Bobby having recently returned from a hunt. It was also a few weeks after their infamous 'prank war' when Kerri dyed Dean green as retaliation for what he still swore was a accident. Apparently, Sammy and Ev didn't take what happened to their older siblings into consideration when they decided to carry on the prank wars. Dean smirked, the whole thing ended in Kerri nearly falling from her second floor window while attempting escape. It was just another good memory in the long list that was Valley, Wyoming.


	10. Chapter 10

_first of all. sorry for the long wait!! it's been forever, two months, and i have no idea where the time went. the last few months of my life have been the craziest ever. thank you all so much for the great reviews and for sticking with this story. i wont leave it that long again. _

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 10

Sam woke slowly the next morning, the smell of the trees and the sound of birds making him momentarily disoriented. It wasn't until he opened his eyes and saw the roof of the tent that he remembered where he was. He hated to admit it, especially to Dean, but he hadn't slept that well in a very long time. Something about being out in the open, out in nature made him more relaxed. Her rolled over in the sleeping bag, turning to see his sleeping brother on the other side of the tent. A million and one pranks went through the younger boy's head at that moment, but being stuck out in the woods, he knew they would all be a very bad idea. When he was out in Yellowstone he didn't have the option of hiding from the older boy.

Sam stepped out of the tent, taking a deep breath as he slipped on his sneakers. In his opinion this was the only redeeming quality of camping. The twelve year old made his way down the trail. No matter how much he liked the early morning tranquility of the forest— he liked modern plumbing more. There were already a few families awake when he got to the bathrooms, mostly those with small children.

Sam tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, knowing four children camping alone was bound to raise eyebrows. Yeah Dean and Kerri had both brought their fake IDs, stating they were eighteen, but even then— four children and no parents brought unwanted questions. Sam turned the corner, surprised to run into Evelyn.

"What're you doing here?" Sam asked, steadying the other brunette.

"I'm taking a shower, what do you think. I'm still sticky from the stupid smores."

"Aw, princess got dirty?"

"Shut up." Evelyn pushed Sam before turning, nearly knocking him over with her shower bag.

"We're gonna go hiking, you're just gonna get dirty."

"Then I'll take another shower. I'll take as many as I have to."

"You're so weird. Did you leave a note for Dean and Kerri?"

"No."

Sam sighed, knowing what was going to happen if the older two woke up and he and Evelyn weren't there. It dampened his spirits a little, knowing that while he felt free, in the end, he wasn't. Dean watched over him like a hawk, making sure he never fell, making sure he never made a mistake. Sam understood some mistakes could hurt, that some lessons were hard to learn— but he'd still rather learn them himself instead of vicariously through his big brother.

"I'm gonna pick up some muffins and donuts for breakfast, I'll meet you back up at camp." With that Sam and Evelyn went their separate ways.

Sam was down at the general store for about fifteen minutes, wondering when his brother-the search party would come looking for him. He paid for his purchases before making his way slowly back up the trail, knowing Evelyn was taking her sweet time in 'civilization'. He just shook his head as he walked, she could really be a handful.

As far back as Sam could remember, Evelyn had been there. He knew he had been two years old when they'd met, knew he had lived a life before coming to Valley, but it was a life he would never remember. He didn't know his mother, didn't remember her voice, didn't remember her smell— he had simply been too little. He loved the stories, loved hearing about the woman his father and brother had obviously loved, but to him Mary Winchester was an alien concept. She was like the heroin of the novel, just a character in the stories he was told.

All Sam remembered was the open road, and Valley, Wyoming. The Harrisons were ingrained in his memory more than his own mother, and he didn't think that would ever change. He'd grown up with Evelyn, had gone from being a toddler with a sippy cup to a teenager with her— she was like a sister to him. Dean and Kerri's relationship was built more on friendship than family, but for he and Evelyn, it was almost like being twins. Everything they'd learned to do, they'd learned together, or almost together, and Sam couldn't picture life without the other brunette.

Sam was surprised to see the older kids were still sleeping when he returned. But then, Dean and Kerri were the sleepers of the family— the pair could probably take a nap in the middle of the apocalypse. Sam made sure to put the food in his tent, knowing bears were in the area. Dean was right to be nervous about the animals. Back in the sixties and seventies people had actually been encouraged to feed the bears and even though campers were no longer able to feed them the animals knew to associate food with campers.

An evil smirked crossed Sam's face at the thought of bears— maybe he could make this trip a little more interesting. He climbed slowly back out of the tent, knowing jumping on his brother would probably earn himself a knife to the gut. Sam cleared his throat, moving around to the back of the tent where he knew his brother's head was. He growled as deep as he could, pawing at the back of the tent, smiling when he hit his brother's head.

The reaction was almost instant. Dean shot up, Sam jumping back, laughing despite himself. For all his demon and ghost hunter bravado, Dean was afraid of the strangest things.

"That wasn't funny, Sammy." Dean shot back, unzipping the tent. "What're you doing up so early anyway?"

"I'm always up early." Sam shrugged, grabbing his book and the food he'd bought before sitting on one of the logs.

Dean mumbled something before grabbing the coffee pot and shoving on his sneakers. "Is Evelyn sleeping or down at the store?"

"Down with civilization." Sam answered back, not looking up from his book. "I think Kerri's sleeping, I didn't really look."

Dean was a few feet down the path when he stopped, marching back up to the tent Evelyn and Kerri had been sharing. Sam knew his brother would check on the redhead, even though he was one hundred percent sure she was safely sleeping. Dean peaked into the tent, turning back a moment later, obviously finding Kerri safe. "You got breakfast already?"

"Yup."

"Good boy, Sammy."

"It's Sam!" Sam called after his brother's retreating back. He hated being called 'Sammy'. That was one thing the Harrisons never did— not one member of that family ever called him 'Sammy' and he knew they never would. He'd asked Kerri about it once when he was six and she told him it was something only Dean and John got call him. After all, they were Winchesters, she, Evelyn and Tom weren't.

Dean came trudging up the path ten minutes later, coffee pot full of water and a little more awake then when he'd left— though his hair was still a tussled mess. Sam knew his older brother would be basically incoherent until he had his morning coffee, so the twelve year old just read his book, listening to the sounds all around him. Dean built up a small fire, the late summer air already warm despite the early hour.

As if the smell of the brewing coffee was a wake-up call Kerri came stumbling out of her tent a few minutes later, her long red hair held back in a pony tale. "We're on vacation, why can't you guys sleep in?"

"And waste the beautiful day?" Dean smirked. He was staring down at the coffee pot, like giving the contraption the 'evil eye' would make it brew faster.

"Sure, Winchester, I know you woke up of your own free will."

"When you have an alarm clock like yogi-Sam who needs to sleep in."

"Where's Evelyn?"

"Down at the showers. Basking in civilization as long as possible. I saw her down there when I was filling up the coffee pot."

"I always knew princess was a good nickname. Is the coffee ready?"

"Almost."

"Anything for breakfast?"

"Sammy went and got donuts for us."

"It's Sam." Sam ground out, still staring at his book.

"Don't get him mad, Dean, or we'll have to buy our own donuts."

"Please say you have some left." Evelyn's voice joined them, the young girl appearing a moment later, her shower bag over her shoulder.

"Nope, ate them all while you were off in the civilized world." Dean answered, earning a smack on the back of the head from Evelyn.

"Stop being a jerk." The young girl mumbled, grabbing a donut before sitting next to Sam. "So, what's on the agenda oh great leaders?"

"Mountain biking." Dean answered quickly.

"What's planned that doesn't involve near death experiences?"

"We could go horseback riding." Kerri chimed in, holding her cup of coffee like it was the Holy Grail.

"Ew, I'm not sitting on the back of some animal."

Kerri just rolled her eyes at her little sister, turning back to her breakfast. "Is there anything you're not gonna complain about?"

"We could rent a canoe again." Sam added, earning a laugh from Dean.

"Oh yeah, cause that was such a good idea last time."

Sam had to smile, he could still remember when his dad and Tom insisted on teaching the four how to canoe. It ended up with a battle between Kerri and Evelyn's boat and he and Dean's, eventually leading to all four in the water. It had been a fun day. As much as he hated to admit it, life as the child of a hunter wasn't all that bad.

"I'd prefer to stay dry this trip." Evelyn mumbled, taking a cup of coffee from Dean. She made a face, but continued to drink it. "Did you tell our dads we were camping?"

"I told Tom, I let him relay the message."

"Smart move." Sam smirked.

"I didn't do it on purpose jack-ass, Dad was out interviewing."

"I didn't say you did it on purpose, I said it was a smart move. Jeez, Dean, edgy much."

Sam knew he was pushing his older brother's buttons, and at that moment he didn't have any good reason why. That just seemed to be their relationship lately. Dean was still as overbearing as ever, and seemed to forget the fact that his little brother was no longer a baby. Sometimes Sam wished Dean knew how hard it was to be the youngest Winchester.

"Well maybe if you didn't have a smart comeback for everything—."

"A hike," Kerri broke in, nodding to Evelyn, "I think a hike sounds good."

"Yeah, hiking's good." Ev jumped in, following Kerri's lead. They were trying to stop the argument before it started and Sam didn't know whether to be relieved or angry. The things he had to say were important, and he needed his brother to understand that. John Winchester was not a god, despite what Dean might believe.

A very silent hour later had all four children hiking. Sam didn't meant to fight with Dean, he just didn't seem to be able to help it lately. Every time one of them open their mouth, it ended in an argument. It was like talking to his dad, only worse. He and Dad butted heads all the time, but that's because Dad was never around, be didn't understand his kids. Dean though, Dean was with Sam all the time, they weren't supposed to be at each other's throats. He and Dean knew each other, or at least, Sam thought they did. Lately though, all that seemed to have changed.

Their views differed on everything, and the strife left Sam reeling. He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to approach his once very approachable big brother. So instead, Sam remained quiet as best he could, only opening his mouth when he thought it would do the least amount of harm. Unfortunately, no matter how little they spoke, they still managed to fight.

Sam looked around as he walked, taking in the quiet solitude of the forest. He would never admit it, to anyone, but he was happy they were camping. He liked the quiet, liked the freedom. The last time he'd been to Yellowstone it was more like boot camp than camping and the youngest Winchester was only hoping this trip would go better. He could still remember his father and Tom trying to hunt for food, making sure to stay below the rangers radar as hunting wasn't actually allowed. Sam thought he was going to starve to death— his only saviour being Dean and a packet of marshmallows.

"Would you back off." Evelyn snapped, pulling Sam from his daze.

"What did I do?"

"You stepped on the back of my shoe."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did. And you did it several times before." Evelyn grumbled, kicking out at Sam before turning back to the path.

"Knock it off." Sam growled back, trying to kick back as Evelyn jumped out of reach.

"Make me."

"Guys!" Dean turned, making both twelve year olds stop in their tracks. "Could you two get along for one hour?"

"I was just walking. Ev's the one who started kicking me."

"Because you were stepping on my shoes."

"I was not." Sam pushed Evelyn, the little girl pushing him back immediately.

"Was too."

Dean jumped between the two when Sam moved to push Evelyn again. The twelve year old had no idea why his brother kept stopping him— Evelyn was annoying as hell. "I'm not gonna be the one to tell Dad you fell off a cliff so knock it off."

"Yeah, John didn't really take that information too well the last time." Kerri snickered as she pulled Evelyn away from Sam.

"Thanks for the input, peanut gallery."

"I'm just stating a well known fact."

"Yeah well, it's been stated."

"Fine, Grumpy."

"Well, well, who do we have here?"

Sam closed his eyes, his heart skipping a beat at the voice. He thought camping would be an escape from their everyday lives— but apparently, he'd been wrong. He heard Dean growl at the intruder, his brother tensing as he turned to face the three boys currently blocking the path ahead of them.

"Keep walking, Timmy." Dean sneered, using Sadie's nickname for her asshole of a grandson.

"I'd watch my mouth if I was you, Winchester, my cousins told me where they saw you and Red."

Dean made a move forward but Kerri quickly stopped him. She put her hand on his chest, whispering something only he could hear. Sam was always amazed when it came to Kerri and the older girl's understanding of Dean.

"Last I checked your cousins were on probation." Kerri began, standing directly in front of Dean, but facing Tim Collins. "So, they weren't supposed to be anywhere but work and home. And I'm pretty sure we weren't at the mill or their dump of a living space."

"Watch you're mouth, Slug."

Sam watched as Kerri slid forward a few inches, her sneakers slipping on the loose dirt as Dean pushed forward. But Kerri still managed to keep him from breaking Tim in half. Sam was grateful for Kerri's cool head— he really didn't want to tell the local park ranger why his brother beat someone to a pulp.

"Move, Kerri."

"Yeah move, Kerri, let Winchester try and have a go."

"For your own good, Collins, walk away."

"Get out of my way, Kerri." Dean growled again, Kerri sliding another inch or two more as Dean pushed against her. Honestly Sam had no idea how Kerri was still keeping the two teenagers apart. The youngest Winchester knew Tim Collins wouldn't attack Dean first— the kid was nothing more than a coward with a big mouth. Dean on the other had, was the punch first ask questions later kind of guy.

"Dean, back off."

"Wow, Winchester, being told what to do by a girl."

"Don't forget this girl knocked you out cold when I was seven." Kerri growled at Tim, obviously having had enough of him as well. It was the pitfall of all bullies, Sam decided, they never knew when to back down. The youngest Winchester knew Tim was gonna get his ass kicked, unfortunately, Collins didn't seem to get that simple fact.

Tim looked back at his lackeys, the other two boys weren't present on that long ago summer day. Tim and a couple of his cousins had decided to pick on Kerri one day when they were down at the store— the end result being Kerri stepping over his prone body after she knocked him out cold. Sam smirked, he really did love his family sometimes.

"I'd feel better about taking on someone with some brains over a dead-beat drop out."

Sam knew that was the final straw. The fact Dean had left school after taking the GEDs was still a source of content in his family. He had hoped the story wouldn't circulate through the small town, but unfortunately, it seemed to be the main piece of gossip. Even though they were only in Wyoming a few weeks out of every year, it had still become 'home' to the Winchester family, and sadly, it was a home that didn't seem to want them. Yes, the Matthews family accepted them with open arms, but other than that, there were few supporters in the small town. But then, both the Harrisons and the Winchesters were different, and Sam was beginning to see it was something he was going to have to accept.

Before Sam had the chance to blink Kerri moved out of Dean's way. Tim's eyes grew wide in shock, the seventeen year old obviously under the impression Kerri was going to keep Dean away from him. But then, if Kerri was one thing it was protective of Dean— and the final insult was more than she could handle. Kerri believed in Dean, she always had. She told Sam his brother was smart, his brother was brave, his brother was a good man— and on most occasions, Sam believed her.

Tim turned, making it a grand total of three steps before Dean was on him. Evelyn grabbed Sam's shoulders, swinging behind him when the fighting started. She didn't like fighting, she never had. If Sam didn't know any better, he'd say it scared her. He backed up a few steps, wanting to help Kerri and Dean take on the three boys, but knowing his place was with Evelyn. He could feel her trembling behind him, her hands digging painfully into his shoulders.

The pair watched as their older siblings took out the boys. Tim had somehow made it back to his feet, clumsily trying to fight Dean. Kerri was currently busy with the smaller of the two boys— Sam had no idea who they were. She was holding her own, the redhead having spared with Dean on a number of occasions. She wasn't nearly as good a fighter as Dean, but against a bunch of school yard bullies her skills were more than adequate.

The third boy looked like he wasn't sure whether he was going to fight or not— and Sam's training told him that was the boy to watch. He leveled his eyes on the third boy while he blocked Evelyn. Tim had fallen to the ground again, curling up on his side. Kerri had her target backed up against a tree, the stocky boy sporting what Sam knew would be an impressive black eye. Kerri might have been smaller than the boys, but she was quick.

Sam was just about to stand down when the third boy decided to make his move. He rushed Kerri, knocking the redhead down, pinning her to the ground as she struggled beneath him. Dean looked over at the commotion and Tim Collins took that few seconds to make his move. He kicked out, knocking Dean off his feet. Tim got up on his knees, sucker punching Dean as he hit the ground. The blonde had the wind knocked out of him, but he was back on his feet a few seconds after the attack. Sam was just about to join the fray when he heard Evelyn scream.

"Get off her!"

Sam turned to the third boy, his heart nearly stopping when he saw the black haired boy straddling Kerri, holding her face down on the muddy trail. The redhead was struggling, but her body was quickly growing still.

Dean barreled into the kid, knocking him off Kerri. He kicked up at Dean as they rolled, catching the blonde in the stomach. The black haired boy was just about to attack again when Dean pulled a knife from his boot.

"Walk away, now." Dean's voice was deathly still, his green eyes leveled on the three boys. They all froze, backing away from him.

Sam knew Dean would never pull a weapon on someone if he could help it, but at that moment he also knew this fight had gotten out of control. Tim took a few steps back, flanked by his buddies on either side. Sam could see the fear in the teenager's eyes, and he knew they had every right to be afraid. You didn't mess with Dean's family.

Evelyn left his side, running over to help Kerri up. The redhead was coughing and bruised, but other than that seemed fine.

"Wait till I tell the park rangers you're here alone." Tim began, backing down the trail. "And I bet your dads aren't in Valley, either."

Dean's eyes were dangerous. He closed the distance between himself and Tim before the older boy had the chance to blink. Suddenly camping seemed like the last thing they should have done.

"Dean." Kerri coughed, making everyone turn. She was still on her knees, but she was pulling herself back together. "Collins won't say anything about Valley."

"I won't, will I?" Tim shot back smugly.

"No. Because we saw your cousins at Breakers, and that'll send them to jail."

"You're underage, that's illegal, too."

"Yeah, but that's a slap on the wrist, your cousins are looking at four years in jail."

Tim looked between the kids, taking a few deep breaths before turning back down the trail, heading in the direction of the ranger's station. Sam sighed, he'd actually been having a good time, but that was all but gone now. They would have to head back to camp to pack up before Tim Collins had the chance to get to the ranger's station. It was just another hurtle in his life, another bit of normal stolen away from him. Sam followed the other three back down the trail, Dean in the lead, Kerri and Evelyn together behind him. All Sam wanted was to be a kid, to have fun, but everything seemed to get in the way of that.

He kicked the dirt as he walked, watching as the dust floated up in the warm summer air. The only thing he had in his life to rely on was the ground beneath his feet. Everything was changing. They were growing up and that meant growing apart. Sam knew the next few years of his life would define him, and he wasn't sure where the journey would lead. All he knew for certain was no matter where he went, and no matter what happened, he would always have his family, and he would always have the Harrisons.


	11. Chapter 11

_hello all, see i said it wouldnt be too long. thank you all once again for the great reviews, they make my day. i'm coming into the home stretch with this one, probably only 4 or 5 chapters left. thank you all for sticking with it. enjoy. _

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 11

The car ride back to Valley was quiet, too quiet for Kerri's liking. Of all the places for Collins to show up, the kid and his gang were in Yellowstone— what were the odds. Well, she was with the Winchesters, so the odds of something going wrong were pretty high. Still, she wanted to give Dean something normal, something she knew he really wanted before reality came home again. School would be starting soon, and Dean was going to be left alone— again. He'd already given up so much, already watched as people left him behind, she didn't want him to have to go through that again.

They turned up the long drive, the Impala skidding across the dirt as Dean took the corner a bit too fast. He wanted to get back up to the house, even though Kerri told him Tim wouldn't go through with his threat. The Collins family were big talkers, but that's where it stopped. Though, with half their family in the police department, Kerri wasn't too certain how far the rumors would spread. Dean was afraid of child services, and while Kerri never had to deal with them, she knew the Winchesters had faced them on more than one occasion.

"Dean, slow down." Kerri reprimanded for probably about the one hundredth time. Why did she suddenly feel like one half of an old married couple?

Dean mumbled something beneath his breath but didn't slow, his eyes fixed on the road. He'd been tense since the altercation in the forest, and Kerri knew talking to him wouldn't calm him, not this time. He'd been forced to pull a weapon on someone, and while he hadn't used it, Kerri knew it was eating away at her friend. Dean liked keeping his hunting side a secret, but that wasn't always possible. People saw Dean for what he was, the alpha male, and they went after him because of it. Tim Collins wanted to prove he was the toughest, who better to take on than someone who could kick his ass in his sleep.

"Dean, please slow down." Kerri asked again when Sam and Evelyn slid across the leather seats in the back. The road to her house was dangerous at normal speeds and at that moment she really didn't feel like fishing the Impala out of the creek.

"What if the cops are already there?" Dean asked, finally turning to face her.

"They're not, Dean."

"How do you know?"

"Because Tim won't call the cops."

"He doesn't have to call anyone, his family is the cops."

"Look, could we talk about this later." Kerri nodded to the back seat.

Sam was sitting with his arm around Evelyn, the little girl staring out the window. Kerri could tell her sister was scared and nervous, and Dean's actions weren't helping. Sam was trying to calm her, trying to sooth her despite his own fears. Child services was a constant in the boys' lives, and Kerri was just praying the Collins family wouldn't set them on her house.

Dean glanced in the rearview mirror, his eye lingering on the twelve year olds for a moment before turning back to the road— but he remained silent. Kerri didn't know if the quiet would help the kids or get them more unnerved, all she knew was at that moment she needed to think. It was like she had a million things running through her mind at once, each idea vying for attention.

It was something which had been happening more and more often lately, and it was really starting to bother her. She had trouble concentrating through the ever growing noise in her brain, and she was beginning to suffer because of it. Her grades were slipping, and more and more often she would forget everyday events. She went to her father about it several times, but he just shrugged it off, refusing to give her concerns a second thought. It was getting really annoying.

A few tense moments later and they pulled up to the back of the house. All four remained in the car, even after Dean killed the engine. To Kerri, the Impala always meant safety, was always a refuge in her overwhelming world— and now was no different. Kerri scanned the area around her house, the fields devoid of cars or people. DYFUS wasn't there, at least not yet.

"Come on," Kerri began, pushing open her door, "lets get everything inside."

Dean just pushed open his door, climbing from the car silently. He popped the trunk, pushed some of the gear around, emerging a moment later with his gun. Kerri watched as he went up to the house, disappearing through the basement door. She really hoped child services wasn't in there, cause Dean busting in with a .9-mm wasn't going to help matters.

"Do you think Tim was telling the truth?" Evelyn asked, coming to stand beside Kerri. The little girl's eyes were locked on the dark basement door Dean had just vanished into.

"No. I think he was just talking."

"We shouldn't have left, I told Dean we shouldn't have left."

"Ev, we can't stay hidden in the house forever."

"Why not? It's safe, why can't we stay where we know it's safe?"

Kerri turned to her sister, kneeling a little so she was eye level with the younger girl. Evelyn had always been more afraid than the rest of them. Even as a small child she'd climbed into her sister's arms whenever a hunter came to visit, only moving after she was assured the stranger wasn't dangerous. And even then, she went to great lengths to stay out of their way. The only people Evelyn was never afraid of were the Winchesters.

"We can't hide from things because we're afraid, Evelyn, that's not living."

"Dying isn't living either."

Kerri's heart nearly stopped, what had come over Evelyn? "Sam, could you take the food into the house?"

"Yeah, sure." Sam answered quietly, looking once more at Evelyn before gathering the food they'd gotten the previous day.

"Ev," Kerri began when she was sure they were alone. "where's this coming from?"

"Every time we leave the house something bad happens. Dean got attacked by the black dog, and there was the Watcher. You got hurt on that hunt last year, remember? And John came back here once bleeding. And—."

"And what?"

"There's bad people out there, scary people."

"Evelyn, did someone do something to you?"

"No, but I can hear what the men say when they come here, I can hear their stories. I don't like it, Kerri. I asked Dad to stop hunting, but he said no."

"Dad can't stop hunting, Evelyn."

"Why not?"

"Because once you know what's out there, you can't turn back."

"Sam's not gonna be a hunter."

"You know if I had it my way none of them would hunt. I'd keep them all safe at home."

"Then why don't you? You're just sitting back and letting all this bad stuff happen."

"I'm what? Evelyn—."

"You didn't stand up for Dean. After the black dog Dad tried to talk John out of training Dean as a hunter, and you never spoke up."

"That's because it's more complicated than you think."

"Why?"

"Because Dean's allowed to have a choice in his life, too. Look, I don't want him on the front lines, and I don't want Sam there either. But I'm not gonna stop them from making their own choices."

"What if their choices are gonna get them killed? If Dean chose to jump off a building you'd stop him."

"That's different."

"How's it different? You see what hunting does to people, you see all the broken men that come to Dad for help. You keep acting like you care about Dean, but you're helping John turn him into one of those men."

"Evelyn."

"You're just afraid Dean will push you away if you try to help. So tell me again, Kerri, why we have to face our fears, why we can't stay where it's safe?"

Kerri didn't have an answer for her little sister, hell she didn't have an answer for herself. They should have been thinking about sports, passing notes in class, getting ready for college— they shouldn't have to worry about death being around every corner. But Kerri knew in her heart she couldn't go against Dean's choice. Too many people tried to change his mind, tried to make him 'see the light', she couldn't be another hurtle along his path. She had to help him, even if it meant leading him into the dark.

Evelyn shook her head, taking a deep breath as tears glistened in her eyes. She grabbed two sleeping bags and a tent before turning toward the basement, leaving Kerri alone on the lawn. She didn't know how long she stood there, lost in her life, lost in the noise and commotion of her own mind. Everything was getting too hard, her once crystal clear life blurring around the edges.

"I never should have opened my big mouth."

"What?" Kerri turned at the voice, surprised to see Dean standing on the other side of the car. "When did you get here?"

"I've been standing next to you for five minutes, you didn't hear anything I said?"

"No, sorry." Kerri shook her head, wondering where her mind had gone.

"Great, nice to feel needed."

"Don't you get all broody on me, too."

"Who else was brooding, Sam?"

"No Evelyn."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I really need to sit down and talk with her."

"Want me to?**"**

"You can try. Though I think she really needs Dad. I'm tired of playing house."

"They'll be back soon."

"When was the last time you heard from them?"

"The day before we went to Yellowstone."

"Have you called since?"

"No, but check in is tomorrow. I'm sure they're fine. I think they're in contact with Bobby, too, he'd let us know if anything happened."

"Yeah."

"So what's wrong with you?" Dean asked, leaning against the Impala.

"There's nothing wrong with me."

Dean just raised his eyebrows. "Come on, Ker."

"I don't know, I just have a lot on my mind I guess." Kerri sighed, leaning beside him. He bumped her shoulder, squeezing her hand, letting her know he was there. Kerri loved and needed the comfort, but she knew he needed it more than she did.

Kerri could never really describe Dean's place in her life. He was more than a friend, more than just family— he was Dean. There was just something about him she needed, something she could never place, but she saw that same need in his eyes. Whatever it was she felt toward him, he obviously housed the same emotions.

"Any sign of DYFUS?"

"No. But I think it'd be better if we stayed near the house as much as possible."

"Evelyn will love you for that."

"Why?"

"If she had it her way none of us would ever leave the house and we'd be safe forever."

"Not a bad wish."

"Might not be bad, but that doesn't make it possible."

"Yeah."

"Do you think we should send them to school?" Kerri knew Dean was thinking the same thing. If word got out Tom and John had been gone for months, school would definitely be a dangerous place for the kids— because that's most likely where child services would strike.

"I was thinking about that, but unless we lock Sam in the attic I don't think it's gonna happen. Besides, we might look more guilty if we kept them hidden. If the matter comes up we'll deal with it, but until then—."

"I know, ignore it and hope it goes away."

"I don't like it either, you know."

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. What about Mrs. Laurals?"

"I've got work to do down there."

"And laying low?"

"I'll get most of it done while you guys are at school. I dropped out, remember."

"You did not drop out, Dean."

"Yeah, yeah. Took the tests, I know." Dean sighed, gazing at the forest beyond the fields. Kerri knew Dean was having a hard time leaving school, leaving the last bit of normal behind. True he hadn't fit in in a long time, but that didn't change the fact that when he was at school he was with people his own age. After all, no matter how mature he acted, Dean was still only sixteen years old.

"You need to give yourself more credit, Dean."

"Can we not have this conversation now?" Dean mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. So, food shopping in Cody from now on?"

"I was thinking maybe Meeteetse."

"That's over an hour away."

"Cody's too close, what if someone sees us shopping there alone? Look, we've got enough supplies for a week or so, well see how things go in the mean time."

"This summer went from really cool to really sucky overnight."

"Could be worse, could be raining."

"Way to look at the bright side, Winchester. Do you think we should go check on Sam and Ev, they're being awfully quiet."

"As long as they're not fighting I'm fine."

"True."

"I just hope they're ok after all this."

"After it all blows over they'll be fine. It's not the worse thing that's happened to us."

666666666666

The last week of the summer was one of the fastest weeks of Dean's short life. But then, when you're dreading a future event, it only seems to make time run that much faster. Dean couldn't hide the hurt as the younger kids got ready for school, got their lists of teachers and classes mailed to them, bought their school supplies. So, instead he chose to hide away. Kerri could handle this on her own, hell she could probably handle three sets of Sam and Evs alone.

Their altercation with Tim Collins had thankfully had no further repercussions, at least not yet, but Dean knew to be weary. Letting your guard down was like inviting evil into your home. He wouldn't put it past the Collins/Miller families to come after them— after all, they'd been looking for a way to turn the children in for years. But somehow Tom had always gotten them out of it.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck as he came down the stairs. He hated early mornings, but he wanted to see the others off to school. He was currently head of the house, even though he was only a few months older than Kerri, and he took that responsibility seriously. They had no idea when their dads would be back, and so far he and Kerri hadn't been able to turn up any useful information to aide in the hunt. For all Dean knew, they could remain parent-less for any number of weeks. But hell, at least they were in Valley and not some god forsaken backwoods motel.

He woke up a bit more as the smell of coffee came floating up the stairs. Sam didn't like coffee, and Dean knew Evelyn was still in the shower upstairs, trying to use every ounce of water the house had.

"You're up early." Dean stifled a yawn as he spoke, surprised to see Kerri in the kitchen. She was normally the stumble out of bed at the last minute type.

"I've got an early class."

"All class is at the same time."

"Extra help." Kerri grumbled, looking down at her breakfast. Dean was taken aback, Kerri had always been good in her classes.

"Since when do you need extra help?"

"I had a little trouble last semester, couldn't really concentrate."

"You haven't been able to concentrate in a while. Have you talked to Tom?"

"Yeah, he had more important things to worry about."

"Then what about the doctor over at the clinic?"

"I prefer to stay away from professional anythings when I've been parent-less for several months. It's fine, Dean, I just have to get a little more rest."

Dean eyed her suspiciously as she finished her coffee and quickly got another cup. She'd been out of it lately, and her current situation was setting off alarm bells for the hunter. Kerri had been zoning out a lot, staring off at some distant horizon, completely unaware of the world around her. It was something she'd always done but lately it was getting harder and harder for her to snap out of it. But six thirty in the morning was definitely not the time to press the matter.

"Are we out of milk?" Dean asked a moment later, noticing Kerri was eating cereal mixed with some kind of pink yogurt.

"Not that I know of."

"Then why are you defiling your cereal?"

"I always eat my cereal with yogurt."

"You do? It's gross."

"Have you ever tried it?"

"No, but it looks pink and mushy and lumpy and nasty."

"You're so wise and mature. Not all cereal has a chocolate Dracula on the front."

"There're ingredients other than fiber and blah, too."

"Did you get up early just so you could insult my breakfast?"

"No, I wanted to see you guys off to school."

"You know, I could stay home today."

"You just told me you bombed last semester. I think you need to go."

"I talked to my dad about taking the GEDs, too."

"I bet he took that well."

"He flipped, but I don't know why. I'm not going to college."

"Why not?"

"Cause." Kerri shrugged, and Dean knew the real answer. She wasn't going to go without him. Dean didn't really know how to answer, he was touched, and if he had it his way, he'd keep her home with him. But this was her future she was messing around with. He, on the other hand, didn't have a future to screw with.

"Your dad's a college professor. I'm pretty sure you're gonna be forced to stay in school as long as he can manage it."

"It just feels kind of pointless, you know."

"You don't have to give it all up because of me."

"I'm not, I've just been thinking." Kerri sighed, putting her bowl in the sink. "I better get going. You gonna drive the kids over later?"

"Yeah. I'll be in town helping out Elsa most of the day, wanna meet up at Jeff's place after school?"

"Sure. See ya later, Dean."

Dean forced a smile, watching as Kerri picked up her bag and headed out back to her truck. He needed to be strong for her and the kids, needed to keep them on track. At that moment he wanted more than anything for the other three to stay home with him, but he wasn't going to force them to give up anything they didn't have to. He'd done enough giving up for all of them.

"Kerri's not giving us a ride?" Evelyn asked, coming into the kitchen a few minutes later.

"No, she had to run in early. I'll take you guys."

"Oh ok. Why'd she have to go in early?" Evelyn yawned, dropping a piece of bread into the toaster.

"Extra help."

"Oh right, I heard Dad and her fighting about it last spring."

"You did?"

"Yeah, they weren't exactly quiet. I think John had you two out training or something. Kerri's behind in a few of her classes."

"Why? She's smart enough."

"She's distracted. By you mostly."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's worried about you. We all are, but Kerri's really been out of it lately. She thinks she hides it, but I know her better than that." Evelyn stated matter of factly. The little brunette always amazed Dean. She was quiet most of the time, childish the rest. But every once and a while she said things far beyond her years.

"You're like a little shrink."

"I just call 'em like I see 'em."

"You've been hanging around Bobby way too much."

"He's got some awesome ideas for pranks. Sam better watch it."

Dean laughed, his little brother did deserve some payback. Sam had been stretching his legs lately, finding his place in the families. But what kind of brother would Dean be if he let Sam find his way through life without a few little hiccups.

"What're you two laughing at?" Sam asked, eyeing Dean and Evelyn as he entered the kitchen.

"Nothing, Sammy." Dean ruffled his little brother's hair as he walked past, earning a scowl from the brunette.

"It's Sam."

The short drive to the school seemed all the shorter that day. Dean knew after those few moments he'd be alone all day. It was what he'd been dreading all summer, what he'd been trying to hold off for months. He didn't like being left behind, didn't like watching as the world moved on, all while he seemed to be standing still. When he was younger he wanted more than anything to be a hunter like his dad. But now he was a hunter, at sixteen, and he found he no longer had something to look forward to. No, now he looked behind him, looked at everything he was missing, and it left him reeling.

"Dean?"

"Huh?" Dean turned at his little brother's voice.

"I asked if you were gonna pick us up after school, too." San answered exasperated, leaning in the driver's side window.

"I told Kerri I'd meet up with her at Jeff's bar after school, check in with her by the high school."

"Alright, see ya later." Sam hit the frame of the Impala, smiling to Dean before heading up the school steps behind Evelyn.

Dean watched them disappear through the heavy doors, the yard growing quiet as the rest of the children went up to their classes. Dean scanned the yard, checking for anyone out of place. He sighed, finally turning on the engine. This was something he knew was coming, something he'd been preparing for for months— he needed to move on. He was out of school now, whether he liked it or not, and now he knew it was time to take that first step, alone.

Dean made his way across town, knowing he had a lot of work to do at Elsa Laurals' house. She had plenty of others to help her, Dean knew that, but he appreciated the little bit of extra money and food she gave him. He didn't take charity, his dad raised him better than that. Yeah he hustled pool and cards, but that was work, that was using his skills, it wasn't just taking money for nothing.

It only took a few minutes to drive across the small town, and when he pulled up Mrs. Laurals was sitting on the front porch.

"I was beginning to think you'd forgot about me, Dean." She smiled, standing to greet him. She was older, in her late seventies, but she was more active than most people half her age.

"Never think of it." he smiled, smirking a bit at the woman. Hanging out with the Matthews was a small glimpse into the life of a completely ordinary family. "I was seeing the kids off to school."

"I see, Tom too?"

"No, he's teaching a seminar over in Casper, he'll be gone a few days."

"Your dad still out on business?"

"Yeah, we met up with him in Yellowstone yesterday, but he was just passing through on his way back east."

"Well, as long as everyone's doing well."

"We are, thank you, Mrs. Laurals."

"Please, Dear, it's Elsa. Mrs. Laurals sounds so old." She smirked at Dean, leading him around to the shed out back.

"I'll keep that in mind, Elsa."

She gave Dean a short list of household repairs, pointing him in the direction of the tool shed before going about her own chores. She had offered to help Anna around the store that day, leaving Dean alone with his work. It was a welcome distraction. Lately his life had been limited to only two things— hunting and looking out for Sam. His father had been trusting him more and more often lately, and Dean knew he couldn't let his guard down, not once. He wasn't sure his father would ever forgive him for the Striga, and now that he finally had, Dean didn't want to lose that confidence.

He didn't know how long he had been working, his mind blissfully blank as he hammered away at the roof he was currently working on. He liked being busy, liked having a task, it kept his mind from wandering. When he was left alone with his thoughts, the outcome was rarely good.

"Thirsty?"

Dean turned, surprised to see Kerri climbing up the ladder, water bottle in hand.

"School's out already?"

"Not exactly." she answered sheepishly, handing him the drink.

"Then what, exactly, are you doing here?"

She just shrugged, sitting beside him on the roof. "I didn't feel like being there anymore."

"Ker, you're failing out."

"So."

"So? So your dad's gonna kill me if he knows you're sneaking out of school."

"Look, Dean, I support your choices, support mine."

Dean was taken aback by her tone. She usually reasoned with him, usually explained everything in some way that always made what she was talking about seem like a good idea. But now it was just the harsh truth.

"Ok." Dean smiled, happy to have her there. He'd never admit it aloud, but he was overjoyed she had decided to skip out of school. Not that he wanted her out of school. It was just that having her there was like a breath of fresh air. "Sammy and Ev still there?"

"Yeah, those two actually enjoy school."

"You used to."

"I used to when I knew someone there. I'm not friends with anyone else at that place."

"Maybe you should be. You know, hang out with some of the nor— other kids."

"Maybe I don't wanna be one of the normal ones. I'll make you a deal. When you're visiting, I'm skipping, but when you head out again, I'll go back."

"That's the best offer I'm gonna get, isn't it."

"Yup. At least I'm not trying to hide in the backseat anymore."

Dean laughed at the memory. "You remember we made it two states over before my dad realized you were there."

"John was so pissed, I thought he was gonna explode right there. He had the vein popping on his head and everything."

"What'd your dad say when we dropped you off? It was like twelve hours you were gone."

The smile left Kerri's face, the redhead fidgeting with her water bottle. "He didn't really say anything one way or the other."

"Oh. What time is it anyway?" Dean asked, quickly changing the subject. Kerri's relationship with her father had been strained the last few years, and time didn't seem to be doing them any favors.

"Almost one. The kids will be out in another hour or so."

"Alright. I should probably be able to finish this up by then. Now that I've got a helper and all."

The pair worked in comfortable silence for the rest of the afternoon, speaking here and there. Dean felt lighter than he had in weeks. He had been afraid what the fall would be like, what life would be like with the other three at school. But apparently, he'd underestimated Kerri once again. He was always amazed by the lengths she'd go to for others, it was just something else which made her unique. He thought he was going to be alone— he should have know Kerri would never let that happen.

They cleaned up the tools about an hour later, the teens heading to their separate cars after work. "Why don't you head up and get cleaned up, I'll go get the kids." Kerri suggested as she climbed into her truck.

"Alright, get our booth, I'll meet you guys there."

Dean drove back to the Harrison's house, a smile on his face for the first time in a long time. Maybe this year wouldn't be as bad as he thought.


	12. Chapter 12

_hello all. thank you so much for all the great reviews. i hope everyone is still enjoying it. the tension is mounting, and there are only a few chapters left which means.............. I'll hopefully post again, soon. _

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 12

John looked up from his journal, glancing at the clock for probably the hundredth time that day. He'd been away from his children for six long months. He couldn't believe this hunt was taking him so long. The one thing he and Tom had managed to figure out— this was the same thing they'd hunted before. That time they'd left the kids alone for two weeks, and had returned to find both Kerri and Dean sick. He knew something more had gone on than just the kids out in a summer storm, but he also knew not to press the two children. Dean and Kerri had a bond which amazed John, and he knew they'd work things out between each other.

John let out a long sigh, six months, the same amount of time Mary had known Sam. Back then it seemed like forever, but now it seemed like nothing more than the time it took to blink. The older he got the more time seemed to speed up. Dean was sixteen now, a man, and little Sammy was no longer a baby. He was entering adolescence, and trying to find his place in not only the world, but his own family. And John was missing it all. He had missed Sam's first steps, and his first words— two things he had witnessed with Dean. And now Dean was out of school, facing the world, and he was doing it alone.

While he didn't agree with everything the other hunter did, John was grateful for Tom Harrison and his children. He knew the boys needed to be around people their ages, needed friends. And while Evelyn filled that need for Sam, Kerri Harrison was something else entirely. She had a way of getting through to Dean no one else had, a way of truly seeing him when he often kept himself shielded. It was something John knew his eldest son needed, but it was also something which made him jealous. He was Dean's father, he shouldn't have to rely on the redhead to understand his son.

"Any luck?" Tom asked, coming back into the motel room they'd been calling home for the last few months. John just shook his head before getting another cup of coffee.

"No, you?"

Tom just shook his head. The other hunter had stepped out to call the kids and make sure they were ok, and to cave and ask for help. Dean and Kerri had started researching the hunts a few years before hand, and though John would never openly admit it, their information had been the turning point of more than a few jobs.

"God, Tom, I just wanna get this over with and get home."

"We can't rush it, not this time."

"Don't tell me about last time." John turned on Tom, his eyes hard. "I wasn't the one who rushed this before."

"Right, I forgot, you weren't worried about two eleven year olds running the house for a few weeks."

"I was just as worried as you. But the job's important."

"And the kids aren't?"

"Don't even go there, Tom." John growled. This wasn't the time of year he needed to be thinking about family, not when the anniversary of the day Mary died was coming up.

"I'm just pointing out the obvious, John."

"Well don't."

"I'm not gonna gloss over this. You need to see what's going on around you."

"I do see what's going on around me." John took two steps forward, standing toe to toe with Tom Harrison. "I see dead hikers, years worth of them. I see children who will never see their parents again, I see brothers losing their sisters— and all because last time we were here we rushed it and screwed up."

"What about your own family? What about Sam and Dean. Aren't you worried about them losing their father, or the girls?"

"They're safe at home, the people dying here aren't."

"You don't always keep them at my home."

"Don't." John shot back coldly. There was no way he was having that conversation again. He still couldn't believe Tom had suggested it. Tom wanted him to leave the boys behind, leave them in Valley to live normal lives. And honestly, the thought terrified him. He wanted to pull Sam and Dean away from Valley and keep the boys with him, safe, forever. "I would never leave them."

"You left them six months ago."

John moved without thinking, pinning Tom to the wall with one fluid motion.

"You can punch me, throw me through the wall, but it won't make what I'm saying untrue." Tom spoke evenly, calmly. "The boys will be better with me, better at the house."

"We've been fine on our own. Beside, the boys are grown."

"No, they're not. They're still kids."

"Dean's sixteen—."

"And where were you at sixteen? What were you doing when you were his age, John? Watching out for your brother? Being the man of the house?"

John was saved from answering by the chirping of his cellphone. He pulled back, taking a moment to gather his senses before pulling the phone from his pocket. His heart sank a little when he saw the number on the screen— he'd been hoping it was Dean. "Yeah?"

_"Detective Marshal?"_

"Ranger Adams? What's wrong?"

_"Two more hikers are missing. They signed back country passes, but they're two days overdue."_

John sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Who reported them missing?"

_"Grandmother. It was a brother and sister, apparently she had custody. Do you have any idea what's going on in my forest?"_

"I'm working on it, Ranger. If you could block off—."

_"I can't close the forest. I've put up postings, and I can put back country permits on hold, but that won't keep people out."_

"I know. Where were they when they vanished?"

_"Their permit was for Pine Knoll. But they could have gone anywhere."_

"It's a start. I'll get back to you as soon as I know anything." John closed the phone, turning his back on Tom. They needed to focus, they needed to stop people from dying.

"Two more are missing, a brother and sister." John relayed the information to Tom without looking at him. Kids— a brother and sister, it hit too close to home.

"Where?"

"Pine Knoll."

"Same as the last five."

"Yeah, the others were on paths to and from Pine Knoll, that seems to be the center point."

"Of what?"

"I wish I knew."

6666666666

They had finished their meals and research in silence, the two seasoned hunters resting as best they could before heading out to Pine Knoll. It was at least a two day hike each way, even more time spent away from the kids. John sighed, he was beginning to think they'd never solve the case. It was a very rare thing for him to be after one creature for so long. If fact, the only thing he'd hunted longer was whatever had killed Mary that long ago night. John looked up into the quickly darkening sky, dusk falling faster in the late fall air. Halloween would be coming soon, just a few weeks now. Spring, summer and now fall— and John had been away from his boys for all of it.

"John?"

"What?" John turned at his name, surprised to see Tom staring at him. "What? Why'd you stop?"

"Didn't you hear me?"

"I guess not."

Tom sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I was thinking wendigo."

"I thought we already went over this."

"I was just going over it again."

"It doesn't fit. If it was a wendigo there'd be blood. Here there's just nothing."

"Not all wendigos leave a trail."

"But with wendigos somewhere, sometime people see things. Now people are just vanishing."

"People don't just disappear, John."

"I'm starting to not believe that statement."

"God damn it." Tom cursed, pushing John back. He was just about to take a swing at the other hunter when Tom grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. There on the ground about ten meters away was a backpack, but what sent shock-waves through John was what was peaking out from beneath one of the straps— fingers.

The pair made their way to the pack, John keenly aware of his personal protection symbols. He needed to examine the find, but his senses were already telling him what they were actually hunting. He'd heard about them before, but he'd never known one to live in America— Yaksha were supposed to inhabit the Himalayas.

Tom kneeled down, pushing the bag aside as John scanned the area around them, holy water at the ready. The demon was around there somewhere, and based on the number of attacks throughout the forest, it could move fast.

"Caylee Thompson."

"How do you know that?" John looked down at their find, turning his eyes away at the sight of the blue fingertips. There was a body beneath them, a girl who died during a frightening and terrible attack, basically buried alive.

Tom help up the pack, a label indicating her name and address was sown into the back of it. Tom started going through the pack, searching for more on the mystery victim. But John didn't want to know anything else— the job was easier when it was just another body, just another name.

"She's not on the list." John began after a moment, listing the victims names in his head— there was no Caylee Thompson.

"More worrisome, why didn't it continue the attack? If it's a Yaksha, it normally drags them down further, keeps them safe."

"Yeah, I know how it works." John shot back, he didn't really want to think about it. Something about the reality of what they were hunting hit him, and it hit him hard. He wasn't sure if it was because it was so close to the anniversary of Mary's death, or the ferocity of the creature— he was just incredibly on edge about the entire situation.

"Here's another question." Tom began, pulling the label off the pack and standing. "How're we gonna stop it?"

"I think our first priority is keeping it away from us. Lets set up camp and get a game plan."

"Alright, but lets put some distance between ourselves and Caylee. I think we should head back toward the ranger station, get as far as we can before nightfall."

"Alright."

6666666666

"You better not get any gross footprints on my car." Dean shot Kerri a look as he drove. It was late October, but the weather was still surprisingly warm for the Wyoming mountains. Kerri was sitting in the passenger seat, window open, bare feet resting up on the doorframe. So far she'd skipped as many days of school as she could afford. When the semester first started she had skipped every afternoon, but Dean somehow convinced her it would draw too much unwanted attention to their families. Dean was still impressed with himself, it wasn't often he could convince Kerri of anything.

"I'll keep that in mind." she answered lazily, her long red hair blowing in the wind, sunglasses covering her blue eyes. "Where're we going anyway?"

"Powell."

"Stalker."

"What?" Dean answered back innocently, though he figured Kerri would call him out at some point.

"You're following Sam and Ev on their field trip."

"I am not."

"Then what? You're planning on visiting my Dad's office at the university."

"Maybe I like Powell."

"Please tell me you're not gonna sneak into the Planetarium behind Sam and Ev."

Dean just shrugged, staring out the window— that's exactly what he was planning on doing. He didn't like the fact that the younger kids would be so far away, and with complete strangers. When the trip had first come around Dean refused to let either Sammy or Evelyn go. He was still amazed the pair hadn't banded together and attacked. Having Kerri on their side didn't help matters either.

It was rare when Kerri went against Dean's orders, well suggestions as she liked to call them. She normally backed him up on everything, trusting his judgement. This time, though, she went the 'kids should be kids' route. Dean was still wondering if the twelve year olds had bribed her. The blonde had to hand it to Sam and Evelyn, they knew how to work their families. John was an immovable object, Tom could bend, but rarely. Dean was in charge of the kids, but the little kids learned early on that Kerri could sway him. Somehow, she had the ability to get him to do what she thought was best, even though he never remembered actually agreeing to it. That wasn't gonna stop him from shadowing the twelve year olds, though.

"Dean, just let them be."

"I don't want them far away from me. I don't want them where I can't get to them."

"Nothing's gonna happen."

"You know you're lying. What if something's there waiting for them? What if they get hurt. Hell, we thought we were safe in your house for a summer and the Watcher showed up."

"Please don't remind me."

"I'm just saying."

"I know what you're saying." Kerri mumbled, pulling her hoodie a little tighter as she slid further down into her seat.

Dean recognized the need for a different topic. "Besides, I need to teach Sammy how to get with the girls. The kid's gonna be in a Planetarium, dark, romantic. The kid needs some pointers."

"Sure Casanova."

"What? Any girl would want to get with a guy like me at the Planetarium. That's like, All American field trip standards."

"Uh huh." Kerri sighed, though Dean could see a smirk forming. She got an insane amount of pleasure picking on him.

"You're just jealous."

"That I won't have my arm around some girl at the planetarium?"

"Smart ass. You'd be all alone, studying the stars, scaring off the guys."

"Little do you know."

"Little do I know what?"

"You're not the only one who can make the opposite sex swoon."

Dean turned to face Kerri, glancing at the road for a second here and there. "Who is he? I've never seen you with a guy."

"Good, that'd be gross. I never labeled you as a peeping Tom."

"Get your mind out of the gutter. Give me a name."

"Why?"

"So I can kick his ass."

"Even if there was _someone_ I wouldn't tell you who he was."

"Why not?"

"Because I really don't feel like having to bail you out of jail. And body disposal's hard work."

"You're messing with me, aren't you."

"One will never know."

"Funny, Harrison."

"Aw admit it, Winchester, you love me."

"Not anymore." Dean's eyes were back to the road. No guy would go near Kerri, not unless he wanted a broken leg.

"You're too much." Kerri laughed, turning her attention back to the open window.

They drove on in comfortable silence for another hour, the school bus they were trailing coming into view every now and again. Dean was making a point of staying as far away from the bus as possible, he didn't want to piss of Sam too early. The younger boy would realize soon enough Dean was there, he had a sixth sense when it came to stuff like that, and Dean knew from experience to keep 'moody Sam' at bay for as long as possible.

They pulled into the large parking lot of Northwest College, the same college Tom Harrison taught at. Dean had been there a handful of times, but often with his father when they were researching a hunt— or in need of Tom's help. They had once shown up unannounced, John barging into the lecture hall to an irate Tom. It was one of the first times Dean had seen the pair really go at it, the hunters shouting so loud in the office that another professor had actually come in to check on the commotion. It was then Dean realized the full strength of the two opposing forces of his life.

The silence was broken a moment later when Kerri's cellphone began to chime. Tom had bought one for each of the children before he left to help John. Kerri checked the screen, rolling her eyes before flipping open the phone and turning up the volume. "Hey, Ev."

_"You two are really awesome at being discrete, you know that."_

"You saw us?" Dean asked, he thought he'd been far enough back.

_"Yes we saw you. Thanks by the way, I had to listen to Sam complain the whole time."_

"Let me talk to him."

_"He's not here."_

Dean's heart skipped a beat. "Where is he?"

_"He went into the Planetarium early. The teacher said I couldn't use my 'new contraption' in there."_

"Then get him and call back."

_"Dean, we're fine. You can keep the baddie away from afar. Just leave Sam alone for today." _ Before Dean could answer, Evelyn hung up.

"Wow," Kerri began, pocketing the phone. "She told you."

"Have I ever told you you're not helpful."

"A few times. So, what are we gonna do now that Sam stalking's off the list?"

"Who said it's off the list?"

"It's off the list, Dean." Kerri answered, suddenly serious. "This is something he needs, and if Evelyn called then you better get the message loud and clear. Look, we're here, we can stay around campus, keep an eye out, but we'll stay away from Sam."

"Kerri—."

"I'm putting my foot down. I humored you this long, but this is something Sam really wants, and I'm gonna have to back him."

Dean just stared at her, both amazed and hurt by her change. Dean knew Kerri always had his back, and even though she still had his best interests in heart, he wasn't able to do what she was asking. Kerri wanted him to let Sam go, to give him space— and it went against everything Dean knew. All his life Dean was told to look out for Sam, to keep Sam safe. But now everyone was telling him to leave Sam alone, to let him go, and that left the sixteen year old completely lost. How could he spend twelve years shadowing his brother's every move only to turn his back on him when he grew older.

"Have you heard from our dads?" Kerri asked, breaking the heavy silence between them.

"Not since yesterday. They were heading out into the forest, trying to get some more info."

"Any word on when they'd be back?"

"No. Why, was someone asking?"

"Surprisingly no."

"How are your classes going?" Dean asked a few minutes later. He appreciated everything she did for him, he really did, but he didn't want to be responsible for ruining her future, too.

"They're going."

"Are you passing?"

"I'm not failing."

"Which means you're barely getting by. Tom's gonna flip."

"Let him flip."

"Ker."

"Come on, Dean, we all know Evelyn's his favorite, we can stop pretending."

Dean was taken aback at her tone. From the day he met the Harrisons Dean knew Evelyn was the favorite. It was plain as day even at the tender age of six, but it was something they never discussed— until now. "Is there something I missed?"

"I'm just getting tired of all the lies. He doesn't care if I fail out. I'm his freaky little daughter after all, the town probably expects it."

"Screw the town. You're better than them."

"I know. I'm just tired of trying to be the kid he wants. It'll never happen. I meant it when I said I wasn't going to college."

"I don't want my life to change yours."

"It's a little late for that. Besides, I've been going down to see Billy Cryners."

"When?"

"When you think I'm in class."

"Damn it, Ker. When I asked you to go to class I meant actually go."

"There's no reason for me to be there."

"Kerri—."

"I know what I wanna do, what I wanna be. School's not gonna help."

"School's important. I'd still be there if I could."

"I know, but you're not. And it isn't the same without you there. It isn't where I wanna be anymore. When you were gone, I was the freak of the school, the weirdo— but I always knew you'd come back, that you'd be there. And now you're not."

Dean's heart sank at the statement. He had always known he never had a future, but he found comfort in planning Kerri's. Now, though, he finally realized no matter how hard he tried, no matter what he did, her future was tied to his. "So, what is it you've decided to be, and how's Billy helping? Normally he's tripping over the barstools."

"Be nice. He's been showing me how to work with iron and metal."

"You wanna make horseshoes, too?"

"Have you ever actually been to his workshop?"

"No. But, he's just a bum."

"I'm just a freak. You can't let the town's opinion sway your judgement of one person and not another."

Dean knew she was right. Kerri had a way of seeing through a person's exterior and into their soul. She was always able to figure out exactly who someone was. "So, metal—."

"Stained glass windows."

Dean had never actually thought about it, but it would be the perfect occupation for the redhead. She was an artist, and a talented one at that. Tom once told him Elizabeth painted as a hobby, but nothing near as beautiful as the pieces Kerri made. It was something Tom didn't really understand, a talent which grew with almost no training. "You'd be good at that."

"Thanks."

"Have you told your dad?"

"Yeah, right. If Dad had it his way we'd all go get our master's degrees and become teachers."

"That's not a bad thing."

"Maybe not, but that's his thing, not mine. Children aren't meant to be carbon copies of their parents."

Dean wasn't too sure he agreed with that statement. He wanted to be just like his dad, it was the only thing he really understood. He was going to be a hunter, which meant being as close to John Winchester as he could possible get.

"I'm sure we'll both make them proud someday." Dean said absently, his eyes drifting over to the large Planetarium. They were all splitting apart, falling through the cracks, and Dean could feel the foundations he build his life on crumbly away beneath his feet. He was standing on the brink between childhood and adulthood, a million and one questions coming up every day— and at that moment, Dean couldn't see what the future might hold.

666666666666

John sat on a log, staring at the fire burning in front of him. It hadn't taken long for them to form a plan. It was similar to the Native American ritual they had used before, a ritual which had probably hurt the demon the first time around. Now they knew they were dealing with a demon, and a few tweaks would destroy the creature for good.

Tom was standing a few paces away, journal in hand, several symbols drawn around him on the ground. John had a bowl of herbs on the ground in front of him— they just needed the clouds to part. They had made it several miles closer to the ranger station, just incase anything went wrong, but John was certain this time the demon would be gone for good.

With a nod and a look, both hunters began their parts of the ritual. They each spoke a few words of latin, Tom drawing more symbols on the ground as John began depositing the herbs into the fire in a precise order. The ritual was complicated, but he was certain it was something they could handle. The wind picked up as they both worked, their voices rising over the ever growing din.

The howling wind slowly turned into the other worldly shrieks of the dying demon. The trees of the forest swayed and moaned with the power the ritual had unleashed. And still, Tom and John chanted, undeterred by the commotion around them. John would be damned if this demon took another soul beneath the earth.

Tom and John both finished their rituals at the exact same time, their voices loud and deep over the suddenly still forest. A moment later, the gale reached them, the final earth rattling screams of the demon flowing toward them as the winds nearly drove them to the ground. And suddenly, it was over. John let out a long sigh, his heart lighter than it had been in months, it was over.

"You think it's done?" Tom asked, though he too was smiling.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that mother's toast." John laughed, pocketing his journal before putting out the fire and scattering the herb rich ashes on the symbols Tom had created. "We're only a couple miles from the car."

"Don't you wanna get some rest first?"

"No, I wanna get the hell home and see my kids."

"Good point, it'll be nice to talk to them in person instead of on the phone."

The hunters packed up in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Twenty minutes later they were hiking back down the trail, leaving the symbols and herbs etched into the landscape. A light wind picked up as the men disappeared into the night, the ashes from the fire blowing off the symbols. In their hast, both hunters had forgotten to seal the ritual with holy water. The demon's fierce eyes caught the moonlight as it watched Tom and John retreat down the trail. It would show them just what it was capable of.


	13. Chapter 13

_here it is. the chapter everyone's been waiting for. thank you all so much for the great reviews, there will be another authors note at the end. _

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 13

"Dean?" John asked, his heartbeat slowing slightly when his eldest son answered the cell phone.

_"Yeah, Dad?"_

"Is there some reason you or one of the other kids was unable to answer the house phone?"

_"Uh, we're not at the house."_

"I've gathered. Last I checked it was five in the afternoon, school's over."

_"I know that—."_

"Then why aren't you all home?"

_"Cause the kids had a field trip today, we're on our way home now."_

"What do you mean they had a field trip." John could feel his pulse rising, this kids were supposed to go from home to school and back, no exceptions. "What have I told you about leaving the house?"

_"I'm sorry, I couldn't tell them no."_

"Last I checked you're the one I left in charge, Dean, not Sammy and Evelyn."

_"Yes Sir, I'm sorry."_

"Sorry's not gonna cut it, pal. We'll talk when I get home. Tom and I are on our way, we'll be there the day after tomorrow."

_"Yes Sir."_

John slammed the phone closed, his anger boiling. He couldn't believe Dean would disobey a direct order— again. His son needed to learn to be better, needed to learn his priorities. He wasn't there to make sure Sam was happy, he was left behind to keep his brother safe.

"John, they're kids." Tom began, gripping the steering wheel tighter. It was the same argument they'd had before, and John knew it would never change. Tom didn't agree with his parenting skills, and to John Winchester, the feeling was mutual.

"Dean's not a kid anymore. When he doesn't listen he puts Sammy in danger, he puts Ev and Kerri in danger, too."

"Don't drag my kids into the middle of your explanations. They're safe, they're home."

"They're not home, they're somewhere on some field trip."

"Which means they're being chaperoned."

"By people who don't know what we know."

"John, they're not on a hunt."

"Everywhere is a possible hunt, you know what's out there and how quickly things can change."

"They can't run from everything in life. Not everyone is the enemy."

"How can you say that with what we've seen and done?"

"John, thousands of people live their lives with no supernatural involvement at all."

"And thousands more die because they let their guard down."

"So what? You're gonna keep them locked away forever? No friends? No lives? Nothing but the hunt?"

"They have each other."

"It's not the same. If you keep them down this path they're not gonna have any futures. They need to experience the world, get married, have a family."

"Like us? Do you really want the kids to go through what we went through?"

"Even if it hurts, I'd rather have them love and lose then never love at all. Being human means being out in the world."

"So you're telling me my kids aren't human?"

"I'm telling you they're gonna be socially vacant." Tom yelled back, pushing the pedal down harder.

John stared out the window, his blood boiling. He just wanted to get home so he could take his kids and leave the Harrisons and Valley in the dust. He'd been away from Sam and Dean for too long.

666666666666

Dean hung up the phone, letting out a long sigh before slipping it back in his pocket. He knew in that instant his carefree year was over. He had wanted his father to come back, or at least he thought he had, but now he wasn't so sure. He had enjoyed his time alone with Sam and the girls. He had forgotten about all the shouting, all the fighting which filled the house when John and Tom were home. Maybe Sammy was right, maybe it would be better for all of them if they stayed in Valley.

"Dean?"

Kerri's voice brought him back into the moment. Staying behind would be good for everyone but John, and Dean knew he couldn't do that to his father. His Dad had already lost, and Dean couldn't be responsible for him losing more. It sucked, but family was family.

"I told you we shouldn't have let them go."

"I didn't think your dad would flip like that, I'm sorry."

Dean looked over at Kerri, the fight quickly leaving him. Now that their parents were coming home, Kerri would no longer be able to cut class. Yup, things were definitely going to go downhill fast. "It's not your fault."

"Last I checked I'm the one who talked you into letting them go."

"Sammy mad at me, Dad mad at me, doesn't really make a difference."

"Dean—."

"They're on their way home." Dean cut her off, not wanting to hear what she had to say. His self esteem was fine, he didn't need Kerri trying to boost it from time to time.

"Now?"

"Yeah, Dad said he'd be back tomorrow or the next day sometime."

"Are you serious? The last they said they were still zero on the answer front."

"Well apparently they figured it out."

"After six months they magically figure it out then take care of it in one night?"

"Seems like it."

"Are they sure they got it? I mean, after last time—."

"Yes I'm sure! They're coming home, deal with it."

"Hey," Kerri held up her hands, turning in the seat so she could face him. "I'm just saying I'm surprised. Don't jump on me."

"Sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, I just want you to talk to me."

"About what?"

"You're not happy they're coming back. And don't try to deny it."

Dean let out a long breath, he was happy his Dad was coming home from the hunt, he really was, but he would miss the freedom of the last few months. "Things are gonna change now."

"Things always change."

"You're a philosopher now?"

"I'm just trying to help you."

"I know. It's just— I got used to things being just us, you know."

"Yeah, same here. It was a good summer."

"Yeah." Dean smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. It was possibly the best summer of his entire life. There was nothing bad about it, even their few encounters with the Miller family hadn't dampened the past few months. No, the only thing to cast a shadow was the return of John and Tom.

"It won't be too bad."

"Who are you trying to convince, me or you?" Dean asked, glancing at the redhead. She was sitting slumped down in the passenger seat, staring out the windscreen, her eyes once again locked on some distant horizon. "Trouble is, how're Sam and Evelyn gonna take it?"

"I think Evelyn will be fine with it, she doesn't like it when they're away. Sam, I'm not sure. But if I had to guess, I'd give it about fifteen minutes before a fight breaks out."

"I'd give it five based on how my dad was."

"They still have at least a day's drive, he'll probably calm down."

Dean just shot Kerri a look. "Are we talking about the same man?"

"I'm trying to be optimistic."

"I'm trying to be realistic."

"Realistic is normally stressful."

"Yeah, but less crushing than false optimism."

"Wow, we're getting deep."

Dean couldn't help but laugh, which was most likely exactly what Kerri wanted. Life would have its rough spots, Dean learned that at the age of four, but with Kerri around the bumps were thankfully less tricky to navigate. Besides, they still had at least a day before their dads came home— at least one more day of freedom.

The pair followed the bus back to school, Dean not the least bit surprised when Sam came up to the Impala, a scowl on his face. The younger boy threw his backpack into the backseat before sliding in behind it— still refusing to speak to Dean. Evelyn slid quietly in the other side, her pale eyes locked on the pair sitting in the front seat. It was obvious she was tired of listening to Sam complain.

"How was the trip?" Dean asked, pulling out of the parking lot. Valley was a small enough town that most kids walked home from school, but Kerri's house was a few miles outside the actual city limits.

Evelyn let out an exasperated sigh, folding her arms in front of her before turning to window. It was obviously not the question Dean should have been asking.

"Why're you asking me, you were there." Sam snapped, still refusing to look at his brother.

Yup, Dean thought, Sam was definitely in bad mood. "I was in Powell, I wasn't with you."

"You think I'm gonna believe you didn't sneak in." Sam scoffed, making Dean's temper rise. Sam didn't believe anything he said lately.

"Yes, since it's the truth. I was at the university, but I wasn't stalking you."

"Yeah right. Dad probably told you to follow me."

"Actually he just freaked out and screamed at me for letting you out of the house! So count yourself lucky you got the chance to go at all."

"Gee thanks for letting me actually be a normal person for once."

"Yeah well, enjoy it while it lasts cause Dad'll be home the day after tomorrow."

"What?" Sam asked, bolting up in his seat. "I thought they didn't know what was going on."

"They figured it out and took care of it."

"That fast?"

"Looks like it."

"My life sucks." Sam mumbled, slouching back down in his seat.

"Are they really coming home?" Evelyn asked, her eyes bright. Her reaction was the exact opposite of Sam's. She couldn't wait for the hunters to come home, to have her dad looking over her once again. It hurt Dean a little to know Evelyn felt safer with her father than him— but since the Watcher he could understand why. Evelyn was never the same after that summer, and Dean was at a loss to help her recover from the experience.

"Yeah, they're really coming home." Kerri answered quietly, her voice unreadable. Kerri had long since grown past their parents. She had been completely self sufficient at the age of six and Dean knew she only grew more independent with each passing year. And to add insult to injury, Tom seemed to ignore her when he was home. She just did her own thing, lived her own life, her family and friends passing through like a supporting cast. The only person who ever had a permanent place in her life was Dean, and he relished it. Sam was out growing him, and Evelyn was drifting more toward her father, but Kerri, she would be by his side forever.

They rode back to the house in a heavy silence, the radio turned down low in the somber mood. Their summer of freedom was over. Dean knew Tom and John would return eventually, but he had grown accustom to running the house on his own, to doing things his way— it would be hard to have the hunters back.

6666666666666

Kerri sat up in the bay window in her room, staring out over the distant horizon. The mood in her house had definitely changed since John told Dean they were on their way home. She knew they were only sixteen, knew she and Dean had no business running a home, but that didn't change the fact that they were good at it. Hell, they'd been doing it for nearly six months, had settled a routine, had made it their home. And she knew it would all be turned upside down when their dads came home. What worried her more, though, was what John would do. The senior Winchester would probably want to pull the kids out of school, to move on to another hunt, and she knew this time Sam would stand up to him.

The young boy had grow more independent over the summer, had grown more than John was probably expecting. It was one of the negative things about the hunters being gone for such a long period of time— Sam learned exactly what life would be like without hunting and his father's iron rule. And just as Kerri had predicted, Sam loved the freedom. Dean needed his father's constant approval, needed his rules and his discipline— it was just the way he was. Sam on the other hand, wanted things to be his way. Kerri smiled as she stared out the window, Sam and John were more alike than either of them would ever admit.

Kerri closed her eyes, trying to silence all the thoughts running through her mind. She shook her head, gasping as a tremor ran through her body. She tried opening her eyes but was caught off guard by another even stronger tremor. Her fists were clenched, jaw set, her entire body shaking. She stayed like that for what felt like hours before her body began to relax. She took several deep breaths, breathing through the fear growing in her— what the hell had just happened? She pushed herself away from the seat, swaying slightly on her now unsteady legs. She made her way to the bathroom she and Evelyn shared, happy the younger girl was outside with Sam somewhere. She didn't know what just happened but she didn't want her sister seeing her.

She clicked on the light, leaning against the sink when a wave of nausea swept over her. She was pale, her eyes rimmed red as unbidden tears ran down her face. The images which had been running through her head a few minutes before hand had lessened, almost as if the tremors had shifted them, moved them away from her. She knew in her heart that didn't make sense, but it was how she felt.

"Ker?" Dean's voice echoed up the stairs.

Kerri quickly grabbed a towel, wetting it and patting her face. She didn't want to worry Dean, he had too much else going on. She closed both doors, locking them just as she heard her bedroom door open.

"You up here, Ker?"

"Yeah." Kerri called out, sliding down the wall when the shaking in her hands and arms began to grow.

"Are you ok?" She could hear Dean's concerned voice on the other side of the door.

"Yeah, just succumbing to nature." She forced her voice to be even as she spoke, even though she was terrified.

"Too much information. Dinner's gonna be ready soon."

"Alright, see you down there."

"I'm heading over to Elsa's actually, I'll be back later."

"Where're the kids?"

"Playing basketball outside."

"Alright, catch you later."

"Are you sure you're ok, Kerri?"

Kerri wanted to tell him she wasn't, but she didn't want to lay anymore weight on his already burdened shoulders. Besides, it was probably just stress. "Yeah, I'm ok."

"Alright," Dean didn't sound like he believed her but he left her alone just the same.

Kerri stayed in the bathroom for a while longer, trying to calm the shaking. The last thing she wanted to do was scare the kids. She pushed herself up off the cold tile floor, patting her face with the cool towel, trying to lessen the swelling around her eyes. She took another deep breath, squaring her shoulders before heading downstairs to check on dinner.

She opened the oven, smiling at the two pizzas cooking inside. Winchester cooking 101, pop out of freezer and place in either microwave or oven. Kerri shook her head, closing the door before searching the cabinets for a large bowl. She pulled out the ingredients for a salad, glancing out the kitchen window as she cleaned off some lettuce and other vegetables. Sam and Evelyn were still playing basketball in the backyard, but the light was quickly fading. Kerri glanced up at the clock, it was quarter after seven. She smiled, knocking on the window before returning to dinner.

Sam and Evelyn came up the back steps a few minutes later, both smiling, Sam tossing the ball aside as he jumped up to sit on the counter.

"Could you two set the table?" Kerri asked, chopping up some tomatoes.

"What's for dinner?" Sam countered, eyeing the oven, "Dean said something about cooking."

"He put in frozen pizzas."

"Oh good, I was worried for a minute." Sam smirked, jumping off the counter and grabbing some plates while Evelyn got the flatware.

It was good to see the kids happy, but Kerri knew it would vanish all too quickly. When John was around Sam was rarely happy. Lately the boy just stayed out of his father's way, locking himself in Tom's library for hours at a time, planning a life without hunting. He'd come to Kerri on several occasions in the last few months, asking her to step in, to let him stay. And it always broke the redhead's heart to tell him no. It wasn't her place to break apart a family, despite what her father and Evelyn thought. They all knew Kerri was the one person who could sway Dean— but no one understood why she wouldn't manipulate him. She respected Dean's opinions and actions, and she knew she always would. It was hard to stand up for your own beliefs, but even harder to stand up for someone else's.

"So," Kerri began, pulling the pizzas from the oven as Evelyn brought over the salad and dressings to the table. "I was thinking about camping tonight."

"Have you lost your mind?" Evelyn asked, eyeing her sister.

"No."

"Dad'll be home tomorrow, we can't leave now."

"I didn't mean leave, I was thinking about the backyard."

"Why sleep outside when there's a perfectly good house twenty feet away?"

"Do you want me to uninvited you?"

"I'm game for it." Sam answered, earning a scowl from Evelyn. Kerri was surprised, Sam had a knack of not agreeing to anything lately.

"Did Dean put you two up to this to mess with me?" Evelyn asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Kerri had to smile, for a kid who'd just been out playing basketball she was still completely clean and put together.

"Actually, he doesn't know. I was gonna surprise him."

"Before our dad's get home." Sam cut in, his eyes darkening a little. He knew what John's return would do to them all, including Dean. For as much crap as Sam gave his big brother, the boy did know how hard it was to be John Winchester's son.

"Yeah, I don't know if we'll have the chance after. Dean was looking forward to Yellowstone before Tim Miller ruined it."

"He'll be back at nine, we'll have to hurry."

Kerri smiled, placing the pizzas on the table. She would never be able to give Dean everything he wanted or needed, but a few hours of normal was as good a gift as any.

6666666666666

Sam sat in one of the folding chairs, staring at the fire in front of him. It was controlled, warm, the smell bringing back countless memories— but it was also to same force of nature which had stolen his mother, and with her his future. He didn't remember Mary Winchester, no matter how hard he tried. She was just an image, just a woman in a picture. Yes she was his mother, but she wasn't Mom. Sam had spoken about it with Evelyn countless times throughout their lives. Dean and Kerri remembered what it was like to have a mom, Sam and Evelyn didn't.

Sam sighed, dropping one sharpened stick by his side before going for another— he knew more about Elizabeth Harrison than his own mother. Anna Matthews would tell them stories about her lost best friend, but Dean and John, they didn't talk about Mary. Every once in a while Dean would mention her, tell Sam about the way she smelled, about the songs she tried to sing, but nothing more. Sam didn't know her favorite food, didn't know what movies made her cry, didn't know the trouble she got into as a kid— all things he knew about Liz. It was hard to seek revenge for a person you never knew.

The growl of the Impala's engine brought Sam back into the moment. He turned toward the drive, dropping the last of the sticks into a pile just as Dean pulled to a stop.

"What're you guys up to?" Dean asked, climbing from the car and surveying the scene in the yard. After dinner the three of them had set up the two big tents around their old fire pit.

"We're camping." Sam answered, turning back to the fire.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Dean smiled, taking the seat beside his brother. "Where's Kerri?"

"I think she abandoned us to the wilderness." Evelyn grumbled. The brunette was resting with her back against one of the logs Tom had set up, her arms crossed in front of her.

Sam just rolled his eyes, for all her complaining she was still sitting outside instead of in the house. "She went to the bathroom."

"Like twenty minutes ago."

"Has she been sick?" Dean asked, pushing himself out of the seat.

"Not really. She might just be stressed about tomorrow." Sam answered quietly. Kerri would always make herself sick if she worried too much. She was probably one of the only sixteen year olds with an ulcer.

"Who're you guys talking about?" Kerri asked, making her way out of the dark basement.

"You. You feeling ok?" Dean asked, taking a few bags of marshmallows from Kerri's arms.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been in the bathroom a lot."

"You know, it's a little creepy that you're keeping track of my bathroom breaks."

"Smart ass. So, we're camping?"

"Complete with free range smores." Kerri answered, holding up the crackers and chocolate.

Sam couldn't help but laugh. The memories of their first trip to Yellowstone would always be burned in his mind. John had insisted they catch everything they ate, leading to very hungry kids. Dean was their saviour, pulling smores from his pack while detailing the harrowing task of hunting the illusive ingredients around the mini-mart. It was one of the only times Sam had seen his father truly laugh— and it was one of his greatest memories. Their lives were full of such sorrow, it was good to have a happy memory to hold onto.

The four kids sat around the fire, telling stories, laughing, living. It would be over far too quickly for Sam's liking, his father and Tom only a few short hours away. It was the best summer of his life, it was pure perfection and he didn't want to let it go. He had gotten a taste of the normal life, a glimpse of life without training, without orders, and it was the life he knew he was going to live— regardless of what his father thought.

666666666666

John pushed down harder on the accelerator. His truck had died in Maine, leaving them both in the firebird. At that moment John would have pushed his truck back if it meant getting away from the pompous hunter. They'd called Bobby, and the mechanic assured him he could get the truck running again, but it would take a while. John Winchester thought he could handle it, but that was before the cross country trip back to Valley. Every time Tom opened his mouth it was to tell John what he was doing wrong as a parent, how he didn't understand his own children. The eldest Winchester was tempted to just toss the other hunter from the car, but that meant he would inherit two more children.

John had called Dean twice, making sure all four kids would be safe and sound when he returned. He missed Dean and Sam more than he would ever admit, and at that moment all he wanted was to see the boys. Tom, for some strange reason, didn't seem that eager to see his girls. But then, Harrison believed kids should be kids, which apparently meant letting them wander aimlessly around town.

"They'll be at school, you can take it out of mach 5." Tom growled, pushing himself up in the seat. They'd taken turns driving so they could get home quicker.

"They're home, I checked."

"Dean is, the others are in school."

"I told Dean to pull them out today."

"What! What the hell, John."

"I haven't seen my kids in months, they can miss a day of school to greet us."

"No they can't. I don't want my kids out of school."

"Excuse me, I mistook you for someone who liked his kids."

"Yeah? As opposed to a man who'd rather have a bunch of gun wielding cronies."

John gripped the steering wheel— only a few more miles.

"It's bad enough you forced Dean to drop out, I don't want you doing that to my kids."

"It's one day, Tom! And Dean didn't drop out, he has a diploma."

"He's got a GED certification. What are colleges gonna say? Or employers?"

"I'm not having this discussion again. The boys aren't going to college, and I highly doubt their gonna be businessmen and lawyers."

"And why can't they be?"

"Because, they're hunters."

"And when the hunt's over?"

"The hunt will never be over."

"Twelve and sixteen, John, and you're sealing their fates now? Why can't you let them live a little."

"Because they'll get rusty. They'll let their guard down."

"And how do you know that?"

"Cause that's exactly what happened to you." John knew it was a low blow, but he had to make the other hunter understand. Tom was living proof that danger was all around. "You've been a hunter since you were what, twenty four? Hell from what Bobby told me you were good at it, but you had to be normal."

"Don't you dare use my life to fuel your own insane quest. What happened to Liz was something I couldn't stop."

"Is that what you tell yourself at night? You could have lined the house with salt, you could have used hoodoo at the doors. There's hundreds of things you could have done."

"How was I supposed to know my wife would be attacked!"

"Because evil is everywhere, it effects everyone! That's what it means to be a hunter. You knew what was out there and you still believed it wouldn't come into your home. Why? What would make you more important than some other poor schmuck?"

"I refuse to live my life in fear, I refuse to do that to my family."

"Still? Last I checked your house was finally charmed."

"Yes, but if you haven't noticed, the kids aren't locked inside. They deserve normal."

"They deserve not to be set on fire while they sleep!" John pulled the car to a stop, climbing out and slamming the door behind him. The yard was eerily silent, but with storm clouds building overhead John guessed the kids were inside. He made his way to the trunk, grabbing his duffle. He wanted to get the hell out of Valley, sooner rather than later.

"You know what you're doing is wrong, John." Tom shouted, following John up the back steps. "You're talking about his future, John. Hunting isn't going to last forever, some day he'll get the chance to do more, be more, but not if you steal what few opportunities he has now."

"My boys stay with me. I'm their father, discussion over."

"No, John, it's not over. Dean's a good kid, he has such great potential. You're going to kill him, you're going to ruin what little chance at a real life he has. He's only sixteen."

"He's old enough to be a man. He passed the test, he technically graduated. When the time comes Sammy will do the same. It's all they're gonna need."

"Listen to yourself. These are your children you're talking about."

"I know."

"Why can't you just leave them here?"

"Because it isn't safe here. You're girls, they aren't trained at all, hell they don't even look over their shoulders when they're outside."

"That's because they're children."

"You know what's out there, what's waiting for them."

"Nothing is waiting for them! Yes, there is evil and darkness in this world, but you can't let them fall prey to that. If you do then the darkness wins."

John wanted to take a swing at the other hunter— he loved his kids, he'd give anything for them. He knew the importance of training his boys, of keeping them safe, Tom didn't. And in his heart John knew that lack of training would one day get the girls killed. It was something which had been weighing on his mind a lot lately. His boys were too close to the Harrison girls, and John knew one day Sam and Dean would be forced to say good-bye to them. And he knew it would be better to leave them now, instead of when they were being buried six feet under. He cared for Evelyn and Kerri like they were his own kids, but the older they all got them more John realized the girls were two people he wouldn't be able to save.

John looked around the large house— Sam was sitting on the bottom step, tears in his eyes, Kerri a few steps behind him. Dean was sitting stoically on the living room sofa, Evelyn beside him, her wide eyes locked on the basement door. They were all alive, all safe, and John hated himself for what he was about to do. But this was Tom's doing, not his. Tom refused to see reason, refused to see the danger all around them— he was forcing John to do this. John Winchester met his youngest son's tormented gaze, he truly was sorry for what their lives had become.

_"_Boys." John called out, knowing all four children were listening. "Get your things and say good-bye."

"Dad." Dean began tentatively, taking a few steps closer. It was the one thing John was hoping wouldn't happen. He needed Dean on his side, needed his son to reassure him he was doing the right thing. But John knew what needed to be done, he'd had a cross country drive to think about it. "There's nothing new to hunt. Why can't we stay?"

"We can't stay because I say we can't. Now you and your brother get your things, and don't forget anything." He said, rounding on Tom. "Because we won't be coming back."

It was for the best, John had to believe that— even though his heart was telling him he was wrong. They'd all become too complacent, too comfortable. They were vulnerable, and John knew he couldn't let that continue. What happened next, though, was something John never expected.

"No."

Everyone turned at the quiet voice. Sam was standing at the bottom of the stairs, his body rigid, tears running down his face. John made to take a step closer, to try and catch his quickly crumbling son, but before he had the chance Sam turned and ran out the front door.

Dean, John and Tom quickly followed, Kerri and Evelyn stopping on the large front porch. "Sammy!" Dean yelled, trying to get his brother to stop, but Sam just kept running.

John's heart skipped a beat when his boots landed on the dirt— something was different. It felt as if the very ground on which they all stood was changing, shifting, like it was alive.

"No." John breathed, pushing himself on, knowing he had to get to his boys. Holy water, he and Tom had completed the entire ritual, except the holy water. "Sammy!" John screamed, even as the ear splitting screech of the Yaksha grew. "Get in a shed, Sammy."

John watched in horror as his youngest son turned, his brown eyes falling on the head and arms now growing out of the ground a few meters away. Sam changed direction at the sight of the creature, turning away from the safety of the cement floored shed. Dean was a few meters closer, trying to put himself between Sam and the demon. But the Yaksha was too fast. In one heart stopping instant John's entire world was gone. Sam's moppy brown hair was disappearing beneath the ground, his hands searching for his brother, Dean digging frantically as all traces of the twelve year old vanished into the earth.

666666666666

Kerri's heart was pounding in her chest, her breathing quick— she felt like she was going to pass out. Sam and Evelyn had finally convinced her to talk to Dean about John, but she'd never expected this. The moment Sam turned and ran, she knew things had changed.

"Sam!" Evelyn screamed when the demon grabbed Sam's legs. The brunette made to move off the steps, but Kerri grabbed her arm.

"Don't step on the ground, stay on the steps."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it!" Kerri shouted, leaving her stunned sister on the porch before running back into the house. Images were flying through her head again-- voices, ideas, everything was battling for dominance. "Not now." she breathed, sinking to her knees inside the house, the tremors growing again.

She could hear her family screaming outside. Every time Dean screamed his brother's name another stab of grief flooded through Kerri's body. This was what they were hunting, it had followed them, and now it was killing Sam. Evelyn screamed Sam's name again, her voice full of more pain than Kerri had ever imagined possible. She was screaming, over and over again, her voice tearing Kerri apart.

Kerri pulled herself together, her eyes drifting to the open basement door. They needed weapons, anything to keep the demon at bay. She picked herself up off the floor, half falling, half running down the basement stairs. The basement was just a dirt floor, the ground vibrating beneath her sneakers, almost like it was alive. She searched the shelves frantically, images bombarding her as she tried to focus. She had never seen anything like it, but she knew the creature was a demon, a Yaksha, and she knew what it did to its victims— it was like there was a freaking textbook about it in her head.

She pushed boxes and tools off the shelved, acutely aware of the danger she herself was currently in. But at that moment she didn't care, all she could focus on was helping Sam. She cursed, knocking down one of the cluttered shelves— there was nothing that could help, she knew that, but she couldn't stop looking.

The ground beneath her feet suddenly lurched when one of the many hex boxes landed on the ground, springing open. A bracelet rolled out of the case, falling into the dirt with a greater force than it should have. It was the same bracelet they'd used to kill the Watcher, and Kerri remembered it being light weight. She reached down for it just as a bulge of earth appeared at the door. Kerri fell back, her heart racing. Her wide, terrified eyes were locked on the demon's as its head rose above the dirt, an ear splitting screech filling the basement. It was grotesque, its long, spidery arms reaching everywhere, grasping at anything it could. Kerri scooted back into the corner, pushing herself against the wall, waiting for the inevitable.

But instead of attacking her it slid toward the bracelet, its screaming growing louder with each passing second. And then Kerri understood— the bracelet was destroying it. She watched in wonder as the Yaksha was sucked beneath it, its long arms bombarding the basement, knocking over shelves, pulling over tools. Kerri ducked as debris reigned down on her, the house creaking and moaning with the force now shaking the earth beneath it. A few seconds after it started everything stopped, leaving an eery calm in the now dead demon's wake.

Kerri pushed herself to her feet, making her way over to the bracelet. The ground beneath it was scorched, a layer of charcoal marring the light dirt. Kerri picked up the bracelet, surprised to find the metal still cool to the touch. She pocketed it, kicking the charred dirt around the basement, covering all signs of the demon's final resting place. She ran around the side of the house, the voices of her panicked family growing as she came into the front yard.

Evelyn was sitting on the steps, her arms wrapped around the posts of the railing, like she was holding onto the house for dear life. Her wide eyes were locked on the three men on the other side of the yard. Dean was digging frantically while Tom and John worked to help him, pushing dirt out of his way. The blonde was shoulder deep in the ground, repeating something Kerri couldn't hear. She glanced once more at Evelyn before running over to the hunters. She nearly lost it when she saw them pull Sam from the ground.

The boy was ashen, his body completely limp. Dean and John laid him out, the pair beginning CPR immediately.

"Get a blanket, Kerri." Her Dad shouted.

She just nodded, turning to the house. She ran through the front door, pulling the throw off the sofa. She ran back out of the house, stopping dead in her tracks on the front porch. Tom was on his knees, screaming something at John, blood splattered across his shirt. John screamed something back, punching her dad again as he made to grab for Sam. The brunette was in his brother's arms, limp and lifeless.

"Dean?" Kerri yelled, slowing as she crossed the front yard.

Dean met her gaze, staring at her for a long moment before turning toward the Impala. Kerri could only watch as the Winchesters climbed into the car, the Impala racing down the road, a column of dirt left in their wake. Kerri let the blanket she was holding fall from her arms, Dean's last look burned into her mind and heart forever. It was over.

_A/n2: there it is, the attack. this chapter marks the last time all four children will be seen together as the rest of the series takes place in the present. there are two more chapters left of this story, i will have them posted soon. thank you all for the great support. _


	14. Chapter 14

_hello everyone. thank you for all the great reviews. i'm glad the last chapter delivered, it was a large portion of what the entire series was based on. i know i said there would be two more chapter, but this chapter fought me all the way. i think i re-wrote it about 4 times and i'm still a little iffy on it, but i need to get it up. so after this chapter there will be two more. lol. _

_the next story in the series is in the works, but my schedule will be completely filled the next couple weeks, so after i finish this story off i will take a break and hopefully have some things ready come october. :) enjoy. _

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 14

Dean sat in the middle of the bed, staring unblinkingly at the door. Dad had been gone a long time. It was normal now, but Dean still couldn't fight the fear that had taken hold of his heart. They had brought Sammy to a hospital in Montana after they left the Harrisons' house, and the teen had been there ever since. Dean had tried to stay with his little brother, had told each and every doctor his brother needed him, but hospital policy won out. Despite Dean's fake ID stating he was eighteen, he had still been ordered out of the ICU. Dean's episode later that same day when they'd decided to take Sammy for a walk in the garden hadn't helped his cause.

Everything in him told Dean to hot-wire a car and drive himself back to the hospital, but that would mean going outside. The parking lot of their lackluster motel was paved, but there was a long dirt path separating that safe haven from his door. Dean had been researching the hunt with Kerri like they always had, he knew how Yakshas operated. They preferred to take their prey in solitude, keeping to the shadowed paths of the world. He guessed it had take Sam at the Harrisons' house as a show of power, and Dean had no idea where it was now.

Dean could still hear his little brother's screams, could still feel his fingertips as he was drug beneath the earth— it made the teenager sick. Every time he thought about that afternoon he threw up. And every time the phone rang that same nausea assaulted him again. The first night in the hospital Dean dreamt it had attacked, watching helplessly as his father was pulled underground, his dark eyes staring at Dean as the life left them. He'd woken up screaming, covered in sweat, grabbing onto his Dad for dear life when he came to check on him. He left like a baby, but he couldn't get away from the fear.

The dreams came over and over again with each passing night, so Dean decided sleeping was no longer an option. Dad had been staying at the hospital as long as possible, coming home to check on him late at night. And Sammy, he just wasn't Sammy anymore. Dean asked each time John came home if there was any change, but all he was ever met with was a tired sigh. Sam was technically awake, his vitals good, he just wasn't there anymore. The boy's eyes were open but there wasn't anything there— no spark, no recognition, no Sammy.

Dean jumped when the phone rang, his heart rate rising as he pushed himself back against the headboard. Dad had left his cell phone, but Dean refused to answer it. The last time Dean had seen the girls Kerri was standing out in the middle of the yard, alone, perfect prey for the Yaksha. Dean shook his head, fighting away the rising fear. The girls had a habit of walking their large property alone when they wanted to think, and if the Yaksha hadn't followed him, then it was probably picking off the Harrisons one at a time.

Dean wanted to answer the phone, wanted to reach out and make sure his nightmares weren't real, but the fear that gripped him was too much. He didn't know what he would do if Tom told him Kerri had been pulled beneath the earth— Dean knew what Yakshas did to their victims. He had to believe the girls were fine, had to believe it no matter what the truth really was.

His green eyes drifted back to the door, a shotgun and holy water laying on the bed beside him. If he was the demon he would take the kids. He would let Sammy go, let them all feel as if they were safe, then he would pick them off, one at a time. He would wait until they were alone, wait until no one would know what happened to them. They would all be lost to the darkness, vanished without a trace. And Tom and John would suffer. Yes, if Dean was the Yaksha, that would be his game plan.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his frayed nerves. He swore he heard a tapping on the door, swore he could see the knob shaking, turning. He pulled the gun and holy water closer to him, closing his eyes as he tried to calm down. He looked over at the phone again, but he refused to call his father. One, Sammy needed Dad more than he did, and two, if the demon was setting a trap for Dad, Dean would never be able to forgive himself. Instead the teen just stared at the door, his mind lost to turmoil.

666666666666666

John sat in the hard plastic chair, his head in his hands. The psych ward, they wanted to move his kid into the psych ward. Sammy was sick, he wasn't crazy. They had managed to get Sam breathing again at Tom's house, but when he'd picked up his son to leave, Tom Harrison had the nerve to tell him to leave Sam behind. Tom told him he couldn't look after the boy properly, that he would be traumatized by the event, that he needed to stay home. But home was on the road with his father and brother— Valley and the Harrisons were not Sam's home.

John had driven at break neck speed to get to Billings, Montana where he had checked Sam into the first hospital he could find. He told them the young boy was buried under a mound of dirt while he and his brother had tried to build a fort. Dean had tried to protest, telling the doctors he would never do that to Sammy, but John pushed him aside— telling the doctors his son was attacked by a demon wouldn't work.

The doctors immediately took Sam away, running countless tests on him, each one coming back negative. Amazingly enough, the Yaksha's attack had left no lasting physical damage on his son— emotional, that was another story. The hunter still didn't know why the demon had stopped its attack. Yakshas normally pulled their prey beneath the earth, often consuming them before they were fully dead. The mere thought of it made John sick. But there were no marks on Sammy, no bites, no blood— hell, there wasn't even lasting damage from his time without oxygen. That all left John with one question the doctors couldn't fully answer, why was Sammy not Sammy anymore.

They called it a type of acute stress reaction, just his body's way of dealing with the fear of the entire situation. Three different doctors told him it wasn't permanent, that once he came to grips with the fear he would come out of the daze. John wanted to punch each one of them in the face. Sammy was on a feeding tube, his large brown eyes open, but vacant, staring off into space. It was like he was no longer with them, like his body was there but his soul was somewhere else. There was no spark of life, no recognition, it was just a body.

After the diagnosis John asked when his boy would be allowed to go home— and that's when he was kicked in the gut. He was told the boy needed evaluation, and a family history needed to be taken. He was given pamphlet after pamphlet about the disorder, about how it could be caused by stress building over the years, possibly stemming from a traumatic childhood. John knew exactly where the doctors were going, and he knew they were beyond wrong. Sammy had a trying childhood because he was a hunter, not because of abuse. But John managed to reign his temper.

After five days, however, his youngest son had still not woken. The doctors were getting concerned, and John was beside himself. They said it normally wore off after hours, two days at the most, but Sam was still unresponsive. John knew exactly what Sammy needed, and it wasn't medicine or a psych consult, he needed his brother. He had tried to bring the older boy out on the third day, but Dean had a full blown panic attack, passing out in his arms.

John knew both his boys needed help, but he also knew the hospital wouldn't be able to offer it. They needed family, needed to be together, they could take care of each other. That lead the hunter to this moment. It was late and staff was small on the ICU floor. John knew he would only have a few minutes to get the boy out. Sammy wasn't attached to any kind of heart monitor, but John knew the nurses and doctors on shift would realize the boy was gone sooner rather than later.

John gently removed the IVs and feeding tube from his young son. He took a deep breath, checking the hall one more time before wrapping the blankets around the boy and lifting him into his arms. Sam didn't react at all. John gripped his boy tighter, moving out into the darkened and quiet hallway. He had studied the layout of the hospital over the last two days, and he knew once he left the floor he would have a safe trip to the parking garage. He had left the Impala by the stairwell entrance, and just as John had suspected, he was able to drive away from the hospital undetected with Sammy in tow.

6666666666

The drive back to the motel was quiet. John had kept Sam in the front seat with him, his arm around the twelve year old as the boy's head rested on his thigh. He was sleeping silently, his breathing even, no change at all from the hospital. When Sam's eyes were open his breathing changed slightly, growing quicker— it was the only sign they had that Sammy was still in there somewhere. John sighed, pulling into a small minimart on his way back to the motel. They needed a few supplies.

He parked close to the 24 hour store, but well away from the other cars in the lot. The last thing he needed was someone looking in the car and seeing the teen by himself. Sure Sam was twelve years old, but he was incredibly small for his age, making him look more like a nine year old. John hoped the kid would grow someday, if not he was going to be at the butt end of Dean's jokes for the rest of his life.

The hunter's mind drifted to his kids as he walked around the store. For years he reprimanded his boys about their constant prank war, and now all he wanted was for the traumatized teens to get back under each other's skin. He just wanted to hear Sam's voice again, wanted to look at Dean and not see fear in his eyes. He just wanted normal again. His eyes drifted over a bag of marshmallows sitting on one of the shelves. He could almost hear Dean's voice on that long ago summer night, recounting the harrowing tale of how he hunted down smores. A sad smile broke out across the hunter's face— it was a moment they would never experience again.

His heart clenched when he thought about the children. The first night they had come to the motel John thought about calling the Harrisons. He wanted to make sure the girls were ok, wanted to know if the demon had left Sam to take either Kerri or Evelyn instead. The last he'd seen them Evelyn was on the bottom porch step and Kerri was standing in the middle of the yard, completely unprotected. Dean had been frantic. He wanted to check on them, wanted to make sure they were safe in the house, safe in their second floor rooms. As much as John agreed with his son, though, his heart told him not to make the call. Kerri and Dean were close, too close, and John was afraid his oldest son's fears were justified. If Kerri had been taken by the Yaksha Dean would be gone forever— John knew that without a doubt. Besides, Dean wasn't the only person who cared for the girls.

John had to cut the Harrisons out of their lives completely, for his boys' sakes. He would tell them the girls were fine, tell them he spoke to them. He would get Dean and Sam to focus on other things, hunting and school. He would sever the bond Dean and Sam had with Kerri and Evelyn. He knew it was harsh, knew he would break not only his boys' hearts but his own, but it had to be done.

He paid for his purchases, his mind made up. They needed to start with a clean state, needed to erase the past-- for his boys. John's heart sank a little when he made his way back to the car. He had thought that maybe being in the Impala would wake his son, that something familiar would bring Sam out of his self imposed prison— but he had been wrong. Sam was still laying on his side on the front seat, his eyes now open, but still unseeing.

John drove back to the motel, his tired eyes begging for sleep. He cut the engine, staring at the door to their room for a moment before climbing out of the car. He had chosen this motel because the rooms were more like little cabins, each one set about ten feet away from another. The one they'd been given was hidden, set back off the main parking lot. For a hunter, it was perfect, especially when you had one son with constant panic attacks and another who was basically unconscious.

"Hey, Dean." John sighed, kicking the door closed and moving to his eldest son. Dean was sitting on the bed, his body rigid, eyes locked on the door even though it had long since closed. It was almost like he was waiting for something.

"Dean?" John laid Sam down beside Dean, his attention moving to the blonde. He gripped both the boy's shoulders, shaking him gently, trying to get his attention. "Dean, snap out of it."

"It's here," Dean breathed, his voice quiet, his eyes still locked on the door. "I can hear it, it's at the door."

"Dean, listen to me. There's nothing here but you, me and Sammy." John hoped the mention of his brother's name would bring Dean out of the growing panic attack but it didn't make any difference. Dean's breathing was growing faster, sweat building on his brow.

"Dean, buddy, don't do this to me." John pleaded, grabbing Dean's face and turning it so their eyes met.

"Dad?" Dean asked, his eyes unfocused. Dean looked surprised to see him. The panic was back in a flash, though, the young boy's eyes snapping back to the front door. "You're ok, just breathe. Take deep breaths."

"It's here."

"No, Dean, it isn't." John explained calmly, rubbing Dean's back as he pulled his son close. "I've checked everywhere, there's nothing here."

"Where'd it go?" It was the same question Dean had asked him two nights ago. Ever since the Yaksha's attack Dean believed it was just beyond the door, waiting for them, and John didn't know how to get him over the fear. It was a good question, but one John couldn't dwell on now.

"Away, Dean, I've been outside. It's ok." John prayed his words were true. None of them knew what had become of the demon. John knew if he had solid proof the thing was dead his sons would recover faster. Having to constantly look over their shoulders would grate on their already damaged nerves.

"You thought it was gone before and it got Sam. How do you really know?"

Dean's words cut John to the core. He was silent for a few minutes, knowing he didn't have a good answer to give the sixteen year old. Dean had been so full of life a week before, full of trouble, of 'piss and vinegar' as Elsa would have said. But the Dean sitting in front of him now was just a shell of the boy he'd left in Valley all those months ago.

John pulled the pills the doctor had prescribed from the drawer. The man had wanted to examine Dean after his outburst at the hospital, but John insisted the boy was fine. He wouldn't be able to explain both children in the hospital suffering from shock.

"Why don't you get some rest, kiddo." John smiled weakly, turning to Dean and handing him two of the pills. It was the only way he could get the teen to sleep. Sam's reaction to the attack was extreme, but John knew Dean was suffering from post traumatic stress as well. He needed to get them both somewhere familiar and safe, and he needed to do it sooner rather then later.

John watched as Dean finally drifted off to sleep. The moment the boy's green eyes slid closed, though, John lost control. He felt hot tears burn his cheeks as a wave of both fear and pain raced through his body. He ran his hand through Sam's mop of hair, listened as both boys breathed slowly, lost to sleep. He was terrified.

John's mind drifted to the earth demon's whereabouts again. The first time the demon had remained in Maine, the second it had followed him home and set a trap for his children, and lord only knew what it was currently doing. Maybe Dean was right, maybe it was waiting outside the door, waiting to take both his boys away forever.

John pushed himself off the bed, going out to the car and bringing in the groceries. He pulled a bottle of Jack Daniels from one of the bags and took a long drink. He needed help. He'd already called Bobby, the resident mechanic and demon expert. His old friend offered the battered family a place to stay, hell he even knew a doctor willing to make house calls. Only one more hurtle stood in their way— getting Dean outside the motel. Ever since he'd brought his oldest son into the room the boy had refused to leave.

John had contemplated moving the teen while he slept, but the nightmares made that impossible. The smallest change had Dean awake in seconds, panic stricken. The only way John could move him was to get the boy past his fear. But that was easier said than done. The hunter pulled one of the wrapped sandwiches from the bag, ripping it open. He looked over to his sleeping boys as he ate. Dean had barely touched food, and when he did eat he threw it up again a few minutes later. And Sam had been on a feeding tube and IV fluids at the hospital. John was reasonably sure he could get the teen to drink a little, but eating was out of the question. They had to break him of his state soon.

John sighed, throwing down the sandwich and taking another draught of whisky before grabbing his phone. He was losing his boys, even while they laid sleeping a few feet away.

_"Yeah?"_

"Bobby?" John sighed.

_"Johnny? Did you get the hospital to release him yet?"_

"In a matter of speaking."

_"Damnit, John. You know they're gonna be on your ass."_

"They don't know where we're staying."

_"Yeah? But they know about Dean, it won't take a rocket scientist to track you down. When are you getting on the road?"_

"I don't know. Every time I try to get Dean out the door he has a panic attack."

_"Still?"_

"He thinks the demon's outside the door."

_"John, this is more than I can handle."_

"He doesn't trust me, Bobby. I didn't know the Yaksha followed me back to Tom's house. Now Dean thinks it followed me here without me knowing."

_"Did it?"_

"God, Bobby, I don't know. What if it did? What if I walk out the door with them and it attacks?"

_"Have you called Tom?"_

"No. He's been calling me, though."

_"Maybe he knows what happened to it. Some sign around his house or something."_

"What if it killed the girls? Bobby, I don't know what I'd do if he told me that thing killed the girls. They're like my own—."

_"I'll call him, Johnny. I'll look into it."_

"I can't believe I let this happen." John whispered into the phone, the past few days coming down on him like a landslide. He couldn't handle reality as it rained down on him, beating him, breaking him.

_"Pull yourself together, Johnny. I'm heading out of here now, where are you holed up?"_

"Billings, Montana."

_"Alright, you're not that far. I'll be there in about ten hours. I'll call Tom, too, figure out what's going on there."_

"Bobby. I don't wanna know about the girls. Just see if he knows what happened to the Yaksha, but no girls."

_"What if they're fine?"_

"Just. It's easier— I just don't wanna know about the girls."

_"Ok, John, nothing about the girls."_

John closed his phone, resting his head in his hands. If the girls were hurt or dead, it would destroy him, but if they were alive he knew someday his boys would want to return to them. It had to be a clean break, their past had to be kept in the past. The Yaksha's attack showed John just how vulnerable they all were, how much they had all let their guards down over the years. If his boys were going to survive, they needed to forget about Kerri and Evelyn Harrison.

666666666

True to his word Bobby showed up at their motel a little over ten hours later. John had drifted off to sleep once or twice, but his mind was plagued by nightmares. He saw Sam's hair buried under the ground, heard Dean and Evelyn's gut wrenching cries. It was all too much, the images forcing him awake after only an hour or so of sleep. He needed to get control of himself, needed to be strong for the boys. Dean was falling apart and John knew if he couldn't be strong his eldest son would be lost forever.

"Bobby." John began tiredly, pulling open the door.

"Tom hasn't seen any signs of the Yaksha, alive or dead." Bobby stated, stepping into the room. "I don't think its here either, Johnny."

"Why would it just up and vanish in the middle of an attack?"

"I don't know. Maybe your ritual weakened it and it tired after attacking Sam, or maybe one of the girls—."

"Nothing about the girls." John stopped the other hunter.

Bobby let out a frustrated sigh but followed John's lead just the same. "I've got a million theories, but I just don't know, John."

"So we just take the boys outside and hope for the best?"

"You can't keep them holed up in here forever."

"Why not?" John asked, though he already knew the answer.

"One, it's a seedy motel and you stole one son from the hospital— someone's gonna come asking questions sooner or later. And two, they're not living if they're hidden away forever. They're just gonna wither away."

"I don't know if I can keep them safe."

"You just have to do the best you can. Let me help you."

"Thanks, Bobby."

"No problem, John. You got a reason to stay here, or do you wanna head out?"

"I think we should head out."

"You ok to drive?" Bobby asked, eying the bottle of whiskey on the table.

"I'm fine."

"Just checking. You want me to grab Sam while you get Dean?"

"No!" John jumped to his feet. He didn't want Sam with anyone but himself. If the demon was planning an attack, it would have to take them both.

"Alright, alright. I'll go check outside." Bobby shook his head. He grabbed the few bags the small family had, mumbling something under his breath as he went out to the cars.

John could feel his heart beating faster as he looked out the open motel room door. It was dark, the middle of the night, and the seasoned hunter searched the shadows for any signs of evil. John let out a slow breath, grateful the motel had a paved parking lot. The only obstacle was the long dirt path between the room and the car. Even if the demon couldn't rise above pavement, its grotesquely long arms could reach them if they tried to run.

He turned his attention from the open door when Dean began to stir. There was a stiff breeze blowing through the door, storms were forecast for the area. John made his way to Dean's side quickly, not wanting the teen to have another panic attack.

"Hey, sport." John said quietly, running a hand through Dean's short hair.

"Dad?" Dean asked groggily, his green eyes trying to focus on his father. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, Dean, I'm fine."

"No." Dean pushed against his father's restraining hand, trying to sit up. "I saw it. I saw it here."

"There's nothing here, Dean, you're safe."

"I saw it." Dean's voice was scratchy, weak. "I saw it."

"Johnny?" Bobby came back in the door, John turning to make eye contact with him. "Cars are packed."

John nodded, turning back to Dean. "Ready to go, slugger?"

"Go?"

"We're going to Bobby's." John answered, pulling Dean up to sit.

"What? No, we can't go out there." Dean began, waking up a bit more. His eyes were wide, locked on the darkness beyond their motel room door. "Dad?"

"Dean, it's safe. Both Bobby and I have been out there."

"You and Tom were, too. We can't go Dad, please." It was then Dean looked down and noticed his sleeping brother for the first time. "Sammy? Dad?"

"Dean," John breathed, staring into his son's horror filled green eyes. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to hide his boys away, to keep them safe forever. But they couldn't run from fear. "It's going to be ok. I got Sammy here fine and now we're going to Bobby's. Everything is going to be ok."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Do you trust me?" John asked, bracing himself for the answer. He wasn't sure how much faith his son still had in him.

"Yes." Dean answered quietly, looking over to Sam. "Yes, I trust you."

"Ok. Believe me, Dean, when I say I won't let anything get your brother ever again."

Dean just nodded, his eyes still locked on his brother. John took that as quiet acceptance. He stood, walking around the bed to get Sam. The younger boy was limp in his arms, still wrapped in the hospital blanket, his small body offering no resistance as John lifted him. He didn't sigh, didn't turn his head, didn't tense a muscle. He just laid there, asleep. John felt a heavy weight settle in his heart— he wasn't sure Sam would ever be the same, if his youngest son would come back from whatever secret world he'd locked himself in.

66666666666

Dean stood in the doorway of the motel, staring at the night. He was rooted to the spot. His Dad and Bobby had already gone ahead, taking Sammy with them. Nothing happened, but the fear still wouldn't leave Dean's heart. Maybe the demon was waiting for him? He'd been the one to dig Sam up, the one to take his brother back from the Yaksha— maybe it was plotting revenge against him. The teen felt his heart rate increase as he stared out at the inky darkness all around him. He looked over at the ground when he heard a noise, he could have sworn the dirt moved.

"Dean?" Dean jumped, turning to see his father standing right in front of him. "It's fine."

He looked at his dad, his heart beat slowing just a little, his breathing coming easier. He trusted his dad, and he always would. Dean closed his eyes, taking a step onto the loose dirt in front of him. He was expecting an attack, expecting the spidery arms to come up and grab his ankles, pulling him into the earth— but nothing happened. Instead the night remained still, quiet. There were no demons, just his small family.

His dad just nodded before leading him to the car. He slid into the backseat with his brother, resting Sam's head on his thigh before wrapping an arm around the younger boy. It was good to have his little brother back with him. There might not be any demons after them tonight, but that didn't mean they weren't still out there. He tightened his grip on Sam when the Impala pulled forward, its engine growling as it charged toward the highway. They were heading to Bobby's, but to Dean nowhere on earth would be safe. How did you hide from the ground you stood on?

66666666666666

John glanced back at his sleeping sons every few miles. Dean had drifted off three hours into the drive, Sam— he hadn't moved a muscle. John rubbed his tired eyes, taking another long draught of coffee. This wasn't the way life was supposed to be. The Harrison's home had always been safe, always been a haven in the darkness, but now that had all changed. Their lives had been shattered, and John knew he would have to rebuild them from scratch. They had been going to Tom's house for ten years, it was all his boys knew. And John knew that would now be gone forever.


	15. Chapter 15

_hello. i'm getting this chapter and then final chapter of the story up within the next few days. they're both shorter, but wrapping thing up and all. thank you all again for the great reviews. :)_

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 15

Dean was sitting on the worn sofa, staring out the window. They'd been at Bobby's for two weeks, and Sam was still no better— and Dean was afraid his brother truly was lost forever. A doctor friend of Bobby's had come by to examine him, giving them the same prognosis the hospital had. Stress from a traumatic event. And, just like the hospital, all they could do was sit and wait for him to come out of it. Bobby's friend had run a new feeding tube through Sam's nose, showing the men how to use it before wishing them luck. Dean could still remember the kind woman's words to him as she left— 'sometimes the cure can be as simple as the sound of someone's voice'.

So each and ever day Dean sat by his brother's side and talked to him. He talked about baseball, about all the trades which were probably going to happen in the offseason. He commented on the cute news reporters. He told Sammy he was the smart one because he was keeping himself clear of Bobby's cooking. Anything that popped into Dean's head he told his brother, just as long as it didn't involve the Harrisons. No one had spoken about Tom, Kerri and Evelyn.

Dean sat up late at night, listening to Bobby and Dad, much like he had in Valley, but there was never any talk of the other family. It was like they were a fading dream, images growing fainter and fainter the longer time passed. Dean wanted to hold onto them, wanted to hold onto Valley, but he wanted his own family more. If he was going to be forced to chose, then he was staying with Sam.

"So, I think Bobby's trying to blend up a bologna sandwich for the feeding tube." Dean started, looking back over at his brother. Sam was laying on the couch beside him, a stack of pillows behind him, his distant eyes staring across the room. He was blinking slowly, awake, but there was no other form of recognition. "I'll do my best to stick to the stuff the doctor gave you. But, you know, if I have to suffer with it you should, too."

Dean was silent for a moment after the statement, like always, waiting for Sam to respond. But, like the day before and the day before that, Sam was quiet. Dean sighed, looking back out the window— he hadn't been outside since they arrived. The constant fear of attack was finally gone, Bobby's house offering a comfort the motel couldn't— but Dean wasn't going to temp fate. They still hadn't figured out what happened to the Yaksha, Dad taking a wait and see mind set, so Dean remained inside.

Bobby had tried to get him out to help with a few of the cars, but Dean refused. And when he was ordered outside he made it exactly eleven steps away from the front porch before a panic attack took control. Dean had completely lost it when his father grabbed him to bring him inside. The teen's mind wasn't in the right place, and for a few heart stopping minutes Dean was convinced the arms around him were the demon's and not his father's. From that moment on John and Bobby stopped pushing him, allowing him to stay inside with his brother.

The teen's eyes drifted across the yard. Bobby and Dad were out working on a few of the cars, keeping themselves busy. It was a constant loop with the pair. During the day they worked outside in Bobby's junkyard, and at night they researched. They scanned the news for anything which might resemble a Yaksha attack, any sign of the creature's whereabouts. But there was nothing. It was like the creature simply vanished. Dean wanted to believe it was dead, but he didn't want any kind of false hope putting Sam in danger.

He looked back down at his brother, jumping when he saw brown eyes staring directly at him. No matter where they were, no matter what was going on, Sammy never once looked at anyone. He had just stared off into nothing, refusing to make eye contact. But now he was starting at Dean, and the sixteen year old knew his brother was seeing him. "Sammy?"

The twelve year old didn't say anything, he just stared at Dean, his thin body shaking slightly. Dean leaned forward, running a hand through the boy's moppy hair. The instant he made contact tears began rolling down Sam's cheeks, the tremble in his body growing. "Sammy?"

Dean was starting to freak out, something was definitely wrong with his brother. "It's ok, Sam, you're ok." Dean spoke softly despite his own fear rising. He put his hand beside Sam, pushing himself off the sofa, but his little brother's surprisingly strong grip stopped him. Sam was holding onto his wrist like it was a lifeline. Dean looked back into Sam's frightened eyes, and they were still locked on him.

Dean loosened his brother's grip, squeezing his hand as he leaned over the sofa. He flipped the latch on the window, pushing hard to get it to open. "Dad!" Dean yelled, hoping his father could hear him. The men were working across the yard, but lately they'd both been hovering more than the teen could have ever imagined. He called out to his dad again before turning his full attention to Sam.

The boy was blinking quickly, shaking. But, if at all possible, he seemed to be getting more and more aware of his surroundings by the second. "It's ok, Sammy." Dean said softly, running a hand over his brother's forehead.

"Dean?" Sam's voice was small, barely more than a whisper. But it was the sweetest sound Dean had ever heard.

"Yeah, Sammy?"

"I'm scared."

"You don't have to be. Nothing bad is here." Dean knew he was lying, knew there was evil around every corner. But at that moment he didn't care, all he wanted was to have Sammy back.

Sam's eyes bored into Dean, almost like the boy was looking through him and into his soul. There was a trust there his little brother hadn't had in a long time. It was almost like he was challenging Dean to lie, like he was trying to find a reason to be afraid. A moment later, the tension in Sam's body began to lessen.

The moment the door opened, thought, the fear returned. Sam gasped, his brown eyes growing even wider as he stared at his brother. Dean panicked— Sam was slipping away again. He reached down, pulling Sam up to him, hugging him, whispering to him. "It's just Dad. It's just Bobby. Nothing bad's here."

Sam wrapped his arms around Dean's neck, holding on so tight Dean was sure the kid was going to suffocate him, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to have Sam back, it was all he needed.

6666666666666

John ran toward the house the second he heard Dean yell his name. The boys had both been quiet since they came to Bobby's, spending their days sitting on the sofa, staying in their safe little worlds. John had no idea what would have Dean calling out for him, but he knew it couldn't be good. Maybe the Yaksha had finally come back to claim one of the boys.

"Dean?" John called breathlessly, running into the house, Bobby at his heels. The sight that greeted him shocked the hunter. He had been expecting a demon, had been expecting a fight, but instead he saw hope. Sam was in Dean's arms, his thin body shaking slightly as Dean spoke to him. Sammy was awake.

Dean looked up, smiling when he saw his dad. He tried to pull away, to let John and Sammy see each other, but the younger boy just strengthened his grip. He may have been awake, but he was far from ok.

"Sammy?" John asked quietly, kneeling by the sofa. Sam's face stayed buried in his brother's shoulder, but his grip relaxed slightly at his father's voice. John took it as a good sign and reached out to the boy.

Slowly, Sam relinquished his grip on Dean, turning wide eyes to his father. John's heart broke in that moment. Sam looked terrified, his large brown eyes slightly wild looking. He was like a caged animal, fear threatening to rip him apart. John's hope was gone all too soon when Sam's eyes grew distant again, the boy's gaze drifting over his shoulder to the open front door— and loose earth beyond.

"Sammy, stay with me, kiddo." John spoke softly, resting his hands on the boy's shoulders. But Sam was still staring off at the ground, and his breathing was getting shallower and shallower. John was about to tell Sam the demon wasn't there, about to tell him it was gone— but he knew that would only scare the twelve year old more. None of them knew where the Yaksha had gone, and John didn't want to push his frail boy further over the edge.

"Sam, why are you scared?" That seemed to do the trick. Sam's brown eyes slid up to him, a questioning gaze replacing the fear. John knew suppressing the memory wasn't the best move, knew it would come back to haunt them all someday. But he didn't care about someday, he cared about this day. "What's wrong?"

"I— I don't know." Sam answered after a few minutes.

"Did you see something?"

"I thought— but."

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"I guess so." Sam shook his head, looking around the room. The look in his eyes changed slowly, the familiarity of the situation grounding Sam. Whenever the boy had a nightmare Dean was always there to calm him down, to talk him through it. And if it was exceptionally bad, John would come in. So convincing the scared boy this was all a bad dream was easier than John thought it would be.

Sam seemed to have no memory of the hospital, no memory of the motel or the long drive to Bobby's. But then, driving was their lives, motels were their lives. John's thoughts drifted as Dean spoke quietly to Sam, telling the boy it was all just a bad dream, that there was nothing to worry about. If he could convince Sam the Yaksha's attack wasn't real, maybe he could convince the child the Harrisons weren't either.

666666666666

"Hey, Dean, Dad's taking us out for pizza." Sam's enthusiastic voice drifted in through the door, the teenager appearing a moment later. He'd been outside helping Bobby with the dogs. It had been three months since they came to Bobby's house, three months since the Yaksha's attack nearly took Sam from them.

Sam's recovery was amazing. He had been nearly comatose for a month since the attack, and then slowly, surrounded by family, he'd come out of his fear, escaped his own mind. Dad had convinced Sam it was all just a bad dream, but the fear was still present in the twelve year old's life. It had been another two weeks after he woke up before he finally went outside. Dean would have been happy staying inside with his brother forever— safe— but Dad wasn't having any of it. He forced Dean out of the house, told him to stay calm for Sammy's sake, and Dean had obeyed. After all, he had to keep his brother safe, had to keep Sammy happy, that's what he was there for— that as his job.

Sam, seeing Dean didn't get swallowed by the ground, followed, and his recovery sped up from that moment on. He still had nightmares, still had moments of panic, but it was lessening every day. Dean, on the other hand, couldn't get past what happened. He knew it wasn't a dream, knew what they had lost was very real. And it hurt him. But Dean wouldn't go against his father's orders again. Had he just listened to Dad, just followed the order, Sam wouldn't have gone outside alone, and none of this would have happened.

"Sounds great, Sammy." Dean smiled weakly from his seat on the sofa. Sam ran past him to get cleaned up. Dean watched him go, a mixture of emotions running through him. He was far from ok, but he wasn't going to let Sammy see that. And so, Dean went through the motions, following Sam to the car, answering questions when asked, but his mind and heart were in other places.

He followed his family into the small diner, his heart beating fast every time the wind blew. He had to keep calm, had to get his senses back. He was trained to fight this kind of thing, trained to be better than the fear. The Yaksha wasn't following them, wasn't haunting their every step. He didn't have to be afraid, didn't have to look over his shoulder every time he heard a branch break or the leaves rustle. He didn't know why the demon had given up its attack, and he didn't want to know. All that matter now was that his family was safe.

The teen stared out the window, his eyes drifting over the highway. This was his life, the never ending highway, the shadows and the night. He listened to his father and Bobby talk quietly, neither man mentioning the Yaksha, the Harrisons or even Wyoming. They were pretending like it never existed, and Dean knew they were doing it for Sam. The blonde looked over to his little brother, the kid drawing on the back of a placemat. He seemed younger, more innocent, like he was new again. And Dean would be damned if he was going to take that away from the boy.

Sam had lost so much to the hunt, had grown bitter and resentful. But at that moment, he was a happy kid, and if keeping him happy and alive meant pushing the Harrisons away, then Dean knew that's what he had to do. Besides, it wasn't like they would stay away forever.

Dean turned his attention back to the window, the music playing overhead echoing in his mind.

_Who knows how long this will last_

_Now we've come so far, so fast_

_But, somewhere back there in the dust_

_That same small town in each of us_

_I need to remember this_

_So baby give me just one kiss_

_And let me take a long last look_

_Before we say goodbye_

He knew in his heart the girls were ok— he would know if Kerri was gone. A deep ache began to grown in his chest as he thought about the summer, about Valley. It was perfect, a gift, and he only hoped they would be back there sooner rather then later. He had wanted to stay, Kerri's own determination finally giving him the strength to stand up for what he wanted. He had been so close, had felt happier than he had in a very long time— but the supernatural world stole that all away from him. His family needed him, Sammy needed him, and he knew nothing would change that now.

_a/n: the lyrics are from the song 'the end of the innocence'. _


	16. Chapter 16

_hello all. this is the final chapter. thank you all so much for the great reviews and for sticking with it. this chapter is short. there will be more about the girls time away from the boys in the next story 'darkest before dawn' which will be told in the past and the present. i will be very busy at work, so i probably wont start posting it till october. as always, enjoy :)_

**ON THE TURNING AWAY**

Chapter 16

Kerri Harrison hung up the phone, her blue eyes burning. It had been months, and still, the boys didn't answer their phones. John's had been shut off, but Sam and Dean's just rang and rang. Hell, Kerri didn't even know if the youngest Winchester was still alive. The last she'd seen him he was unconscious in his brother's arms. It was now January. Dean's seventeenth birthday was approaching fast, but this year he'd be celebrating it alone. It was the first time since they'd met that they didn't even talk on his birthday. It was alien to Kerri. She had never thought about life without Dean, it just wasn't an option, but now she was being forced to face that empty reality.

She still hadn't told her father about the bracelet or the Yaksha's death— but then, it didn't seem to matter anymore. The boys were already gone, and she knew John wouldn't bring them back just because one demon was dead. The hunter had been looking for a reason to take his boys away from Valley for years— and now he had it. They had come to the brink and gone over it, and Kerri knew there was no turning back.

Everything in her house had changed after that day. Evelyn and Tom were like strangers to her, distant and quiet. But then, they always had been. Kerri never noticed it when the others were around, but she and Evelyn didn't share the same bond Sam and Dean did. Yes they loved each other a great deal— they were sisters— but the boys had something different, something stronger. It wasn't until the Winchester's departure, though, that the redhead realized just how alone she really was.

She was always with Dean, even when he wasn't present they spoke as often as possible. They had a seemingly unbreakable bond. There was one thing, though, which could destroy it— family. Dean would do anything for his family, and as much as Kerri tried to think otherwise, she was Dean's friend, not his family. They were all close, had all grown up together, but they were all still very different.

She had never noticed the divide until that moment. She thought of the Winchesters like brothers, but it was now painfully obvious that was not the case. Kerri covered her eyes when another wave of pain overtook her. She thought it had been a one time thing, but since that now distant afternoon the tremors and nausea had only increased in intensity, and Kerri was getting scared. She had gone to her dad about it a month or so after the Winchesters had left, but his reaction wasn't what she had been expecting. Kerri thought her dad would run her to the hospital, would jump at the mention of the bazaar symptoms— instead, he had gone to his library.

Tom had remained secluded for days, avoiding Kerri when he went to the work. But he didn't need to. Kerri could take care of herself, she'd learned that a long time ago— she didn't need her father. She would take care of whatever was happening to her on her own, deal with it on her own. She had heard her dad mumbling about her condition, late night phone calls with someone she didn't know. But that didn't matter. She had followed his lead, nodding her head and smiling like she always did— but she knew she had no one she could rely on other that herself. For ten years she'd had Dean to help her through, but she was afraid the other teen was gone forever.

Kerri let out a sigh, rubbing her head as she fought off the growing headache. She turned her attention back to the bay window, staring out over the fields and forest— they all seemed so empty now. Her eyes traveled down the long dirt drive, knowing Evelyn was sitting at the end of it, waiting by the fence. She had been there ever since the Winchesters drove away, and while Kerri wanted to help her little sister, she knew she wouldn't be able to. She just hoped Evelyn could take care of herself as well.

666666666666

Evelyn Harrison sat on the cold ground, her jacket wrapped around her— but she didn't feel the cold. Her pale eyes were locked on the road, watching as the packed gravel path disappeared around the corner, weaving its way through the silent forest. The silence was like a weight, like a heavy blanket suffocating her. For as long as she could remember Sam had been with her. She didn't know a life without him, didn't know a world without him. She had dared to dream he would be there forever— and she had been wrong.

Evelyn looked out over the forest when a stiff wind began to blow— it would be snowing soon. She could still remember the summer of the Watcher like it had just happened. The singing still came to her in her dreams, the spirit's eyes plaguing her nightmares. Sam had been the only one not to leave her then. Kerri had been taken away, and no matter how many promises Dean had made, he'd been unable to bring her back unharmed. And now, despite being surrounded by trained hunters, Sam had been attacked— taken from her.

She had begged Kerri and Tom to take her to the boys, to follow them— but they had refused. She'd called Bobby, knowing John would have taken the boys there, and while he assured her both were alive and fine, he wouldn't let her talk to them or pass on her message. He told her John wold calm down in time, but Evelyn knew that was a lie.

She knew she never should have believed things could be good. The older she got the more she realized how many people lied. Everyone told stories, babied her, lied to her. Even now she knew Kerri was sick, and she knew her dad was following his own agenda. Neither of them cared about her or the Winchesters— they just cared about themselves. Kerri wouldn't talk to her, she just stayed locked in her bedroom. And Dad was always at work or on the phone. Bobby had called her cell phone three times, giving her updates about the boys, and Evelyn appreciated the gesture. She hadn't told her family of the phone calls, and she knew she never would.

She needed to get stronger, needed to break ties with her family— it was the only way she could go in search of the Winchesters. Kerri foolishly believed they would come back on their own, and Tom didn't want anything to do with the other family. Evelyn knew if she wanted to see them again she would have to do it alone. But she would rather be alone. She was like a stranger in her own house, the only person who really understood her was Sam Winchester. She couldn't explain the silent bond she shared with the other brunette, all she knew was she needed to get back to him.

"Have you thought about what I said?" A voice asked behind her.

Evelyn didn't turn, knowing who the voice belonged to. He had come to her a few weeks before Sam was attacked. She'd been off riding her bike alone, and the man had been sitting on the front porch of Anna's store. Mrs. Matthews had been away for the weekend, and while Evelyn knew she shouldn't talk to the strangers she couldn't help but feel drawn to him.

"Yes."

"And your answer?"

"I want to find Sam. I want you to help me get Sam."

66666666666

The man stared at the brunette's back, her words curt, determined. "I want to find Sam. I want you to help me get Sam."

Oh yes, he thought, these two were his favorites, his most promising. The Yellow Eyed Demon simply nodded, knowing Evelyn Harrison was willing to follow him. She was still young, still had another ten years until she would truly be ready, but he knew it would take more than his own cunning to get Sam Winchester away from his family. The Demon had a plan, and he knew he needed Evelyn to bring it to fruition.

Kerri Harrison's potential was already beginning to shine through. The redhead hadn't been apart of the Demon's original plan, but the opportunity had been too great to pass up. He knew once Evelyn and Sam were grown he would be able to use them to unlock the gate, to let the greatest power the world had ever seen loose. But he also knew no matter how great the strength, power was nothing without the proper intel. Not even the greatest off all demons knew what Kerri Harrison knew. She was like a treasure, and she would be a gift to the Demon's father when he finally rose.

Yes, the plan was coming together perfectly. There was only one wild-card left in the deck, and that was Dean Winchester.


End file.
